Elections in Telangana have earned the dubious distinction of being the most expensive elections in the country.
Since the formation of Telangana State and BRS coming to power in 2014, the election expenditure in Telangana has soared to sky-high levels.
The recent Munugode Assembly bypoll held in November last year, in which BRS and BJP fought a do-or-die battle, reportedly witnessed an expenditure of over Rs 600 crore combined, as both parties vied to offer up to Rs 10,000 to each voter to secure votes in their favor.
Under these circumstances, the candidates aspiring for tickets to contest from BRS, Congress, and BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls scheduled for December this year are enduring sleepless nights to mobilize crores of rupees for election expenses.
All political parties are said to prefer only 'financially strong candidates' to give tickets.
The buzz in BRS circles is that the party leadership is considering giving tickets only to those candidates who can show cash reserves of Rs 50 crore.
The party leadership is also rumored to be promising to fund an additional Rs 25 crore in every Assembly constituency on behalf of the party. This would mean that the BRS expects every candidate to spend at least Rs 75 crore.
The BRS leadership, aiming for a hat-trick victory in the upcoming Assembly polls, has reportedly decided to go to any extent in spending money to lure voters and corner Congress and BJP, both of which are struggling with a cash crunch.