Come any elections, money flows like water. Though the election commission authorities often say that there is a strict vigil on the expenditure by contesting candidates, it hardly happens and the authorities have little control over spending by the candidates.
They know pretty well that the expenditure details submitted by the candidates are fake and there is hardly any mechanism to audit these accounts. Though it is pretty evident from the campaigning of candidates as to how much money they are spending.
The ruling parties always have an advantage in this regard because the police machinery is under their control and on many occasions, distribution of money allegedly happens through police personnel. And if any opposition candidate carries money, the same police confiscate their vehicles and seize money.
In the ongoing GHMC elections, too, money is playing a very important role. The TRS certainly has an advantage over other parties for the above-mentioned reasons, but this time, the Bharatiya Janata Party, too, has decided to launch a counter-offensive.
While the police obviously help the TRS in money distribution, the BJP leadership has reportedly roped in Income Tax authorities to keep a tab on expenditure by the TRS candidates and of course, the Congress candidates.
According to sources, as many as 25 special teams of Income Tax department comprising senior officials have plunged into action to look into the spending of black money in the GHMC elections.
They are said to be touring every division and with the help of their informer network, have kept an eagle eye on the money being spent by the candidates. They have already reportedly collected information about who would fund the candidates – including industrialists, contractors, builders, realtors, corporate hospitals, financiers, film producers and managements of private educational institutions.
These IT teams have also located the possible places from where the distribution of money would be done in each assembly constituency and who would be holding the distribution of money spending.
“A list of such people is ready with the I-T department and the authorities have kept an eye on them, so that the moment the candidates take out money, the authorities would swoop on them,” sources said.
Naturally, it is creating panic among the political party leaders, who cannot disclose the same to others. Apparently, even the police authorities have expressed their inability to help the politicians this time, sources added.