The Election Commission has convened a meeting of recognised national and state parties in New Delhi Wednesday to elicit their views on the proposal for state funding of elections in kind.
The commission's move comes in the wake of Centre's decision to seek its advice in an effort to curb money power in elections.
Acting on the Union Cabinet decision in December 2005, the government had requested the EC to recommend, in consultation with the recognised political parties, the quantities of certain specific items to be provided to political parties or candidates.
For recognised political parties, government has elicited the commission's views on suitable rent-free accommodation for its headquarters, one rent-free telephone with STD facility and time to be allocated to them on private TV channels.
So far as candidates of recognised parties are concerned, the EC's opinion has been sought on quantity of petrol/diesel, paper for printing and minimum arrangements for the candidates' camps at each polling states on the polling day, among others.
State funding of elections is included in the United Progressive Alliance government's National Common Minimum Programme, and the Centre and states both share in the funding.
In all, 50 political parties, including six national parties have been invited for the meeting, EC sources said.
Faced with a growing need for cleaner and cheaper elections, the government had on December 22, 2005, pulled out the seven-year old Indrajit Gupta committee report outlining sweeping electoral reforms and asked the EC to consider the issue of state funding of elections.
The committee set up in 1998 under the late Communist Party of India veteran had recommended creation of a separate election fund and providing facilities in kind to candidates of recognised political parties.
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