Who a star campaigner is and how campaign spend is accounted

Star campaigners are leaders whom a political party names in a list to the Election Commission for campaigning. The arrangement comes from Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. A recognised national or state party may name up to 40 star campaigners. A registered unrecognised party may name up to 20.

The list is filed with the Commission and the state’s chief electoral officer within the period set after the notification. In a multi-phase election, the Commission’s directions also allow changes to the list.

Whose account bears the cost

If a star campaigner travels only to campaign for the party, the travel cost is not added to the candidate’s election expenses. That is the main benefit of the arrangement. If the candidate shares the stage, or the meeting expense is linked to the candidate’s own campaign, part of it can be added to the candidate’s account under the Commission’s guidelines.

For an assembly election in a large state the candidate’s spending limit is ₹40 lakh, and for the Lok Sabha it is ₹95 lakh, as revised in 2022. Uttar Pradesh falls in this larger-state category. When a star campaigner’s travel stays outside the account, the pressure on the candidate’s limit is lower.

When the Commission can withdraw the status

For a serious breach of the model code, the Commission can withdraw a leader’s star-campaigner status or bar the leader from campaigning for a period. Such orders have been issued in past elections. Once the status is withdrawn, the leader’s travel cost can be charged to the candidate.

Being a star campaigner is not a public office. It is only an accounting arrangement for election expenditure. All recognised parties use it through their lists, whether they are in government or in opposition.

Key points

• Star campaigners are leaders whom a political party names in a list to the Election Commission for campaigning.
• If a star campaigner travels only to campaign for the party, the travel cost is not added to the candidate’s election expenses.
• For a serious breach of the model code, the Commission can withdraw a leader’s star-campaigner status or bar the leader from campaigning

The 2024 Lok Sabha context

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats were won as follows: Samajwadi Party 37, BJP 33, Congress 6, RLD 2, Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) 1 and Apna Dal (S) 1. Lok Sabha and assembly elections turn on different issues and alliances, so the two results should not be added together to reach a conclusion.

The structure of the House

The Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly has 403 seats. Of these, 84 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 for Scheduled Tribes. The majority mark is 202. The state sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha and 31 to the Rajya Sabha. The legislative council is a separate House whose members come through different electorates and nomination.

Official 2022 figures for context

For context, the 2022 assembly election had 15,12,46,168 electors and 9,21,62,897 votes polled, with statewide turnout of 60.94 percent. The BJP won 255 seats on 41.29 percent and the Samajwadi Party 111 seats on 32.06 percent. Apna Dal (S) won 12, the RLD 8, the SBSP and NISHAD Party 6 each, Congress and the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik 2 each, and the BSP 1.

Also read:

• Budaun district assembly results 2022
• Mathura district assembly results 2022
• Ghazipur district assembly results 2022

Source: Election Commission of India. Figures are from official statistical reports.

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