Daily Times

In a recent interview, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan bluntly stated, “Money and electables win elections.” Perhaps this rare moment of candour was a result of the tiresome ticket allocation process that has frustrated the Kaptaan. Nonetheless, there is truth in his remarks. Money plays a pivotal role in elections, especially in Pakistan.

In 2013, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) set a spending limit of Rs 1.5 million on candidates running for the National Assembly, and Rs. 1 million on candidates eying a spot on a provincial assembly. This limit was changed to Rs. 4 million and Rs 2 million for National Assembly and provincial assembly seats, respectively. In reality, I estimate that the average top-tier MNA hopeful will easily spend between Rs 10-15 million this election.

The printing costs of posters, banners, and advertisements alone can accumulate to more than ECP’s ceiling. An MNA contesting from Sheikhupura explained, “Contrary to popular belief, we don’t start campaigning a month before the election. Initially, you have to ensure you get your party’s ticket. For that, you have to remain visible. Because of that we have been posting banners and posters since 2014.”

Apart from printing, which many consider the primary cost of campaigning, there are many other costs, including that of vehicles. SUVs are now synonymous with politicians, but not just any SUV.

“Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a Prado. So I convinced saab to upgrade to a brand new, fully-loaded Land Cruiser for the coming election,” boasted a sitting MNA’s assistant. The vehicle in question alone costs over Rs. 25 million; add an extra Rs. 5 million if you want the bulletproof version.

A typical MNA’s convoy has multiple vehicles, including those carrying supporters, employees and at least one Hilux containing security guards. A new Hilux can cost over Rs. 4 million. Since a large convoy reflects positively on the candidate’s stature, many end up borrowing or renting cars to increase their fleet.

“When I loan my vehicles to my friends for elections, I usually have to sell them afterwards because they destroy them. They clock around 200 km a day, most of which can be attributed to off-roading,” said a benefactor, who did not wish to be named.

A rent-a-car service owner anonymously admitted that he is very cautious when doing business with politicians.  He claimed that the cars often return damaged. “I tell them if you want to rent a car, you have to use the company driver. If I don’t provide a driver then their relatives or supporters who at most have driven tractors, take the wheel. They usually protest because the driver increases the cost,” he said.

A candidate from Mianwali said that he must have spent almost Rs 2 million on fuel alone during his campaign, which only started a few months back

He calculated that the daily cost, including the rent, can come up to Rs 10,000 per vehicle. The closer candidates get to election day, the more vehicles they will require. Come voting day, a typical MNA will be renting buses, vans, and even tractors with large trolleys, to ensure his supporters cast their votes. The bill for this can run up to hundreds of thousand rupees.

Fuel is a major cost head during elections. A candidate from Mianwali said that he must have spent almost Rs 2 million on fuel alone during his campaign, which started a few months back. A typical MNA also requires staff, such as assistants, and security guards. He cannot simply hire them a month before elections, instead they are part of the candidates team fulltime, which may have been assembled years ago.

An average MNA has to attend multiple engagements in a day. At weddings, they have to bring a gift. At funerals, they are expected to help with the food. They are to constantly host a variety of events at their headquarters to generate goodwill and amass popularity. All of this costs money.

So how can a candidate afford all this? Many candidates have generous patrons who donate to their campaigns or host ialsas for them (which can easily cost a few million rupees). Secondly, politicians often have a silent share in a running business with a trustworthy confidant, like a relative, who can keep their role discrete but allocate funds as required. The third most common source is the sale of assets, usually land.

The candidate’s respective parties advertise on television and in newspapers. They have polling agents and workers who campaign for their members. However, parties rarely give direct donations to candidates. On the contrary, “When Mian Saab came, all MNA’s and MPA’s had to split the cost of his jalsa. My share was Rs 2 million,” A Punjabi parliamentarian recalled, on the condition of anonymity.

If the party or the candidate happens to be in power then the campaign is further supplemented with the national budget through development funds and other gimmicks that are worth their weight in gold. It is clear that power does not come cheap.

The next part of this series will expand on the consequences of the ever-growing cost of politics and the reasons why many still contest to seize it.

The writer is a Columnist based in Lahore. He can be reached at Skhanzada@ymail.com

Published in Daily Times, July 11^th 2018.