Madurai AIADMK MLAs flag issues in election expense rate chart

Madurai: AIADMK MLAs from Madurai have raised concerns over the Election Commission's district-wise "rate chart" fixed for the 2026 assembly elections, citing inconsistencies between the mandated prices and prevailing market rates in Madurai. MLAs Sellur K Raju, V V Rajan Chellappa and R B Udayakumar submitted a petition to Madurai district election officer and district collector K J Praveen Kumar on Sunday. Raju said the official rate chart in Madurai was set much higher than the current market values for campaign-related materials and services. He pointed out that several items were charged on a full-day basis in the chart, while candidates typically rented them on an hourly basis, which he said inflated the election expenditure of a candidate and could create financial discrepancies.To support his claim, the MLA attached a comparative list of prices of 46 items, including temporary sheds, plastic chairs, and public address systems, used in electioneering. He cited other examples including a drone camera for which the official rate was listed at Rs 1,572 while he said the market price was fixed at Rs 500. Raju urged the district administration to re-evaluate the price list and align it with the present market prices. He said a realistic rate chart was necessary to maintain the integrity of the electoral process and to ensure candidates were not unfairly penalised. District officials said they will review the matter further.