Why is it in the News?

In the current general elections, political parties are selecting 'star campaigners' to lead their campaigns.

What are Star Campaigners in Election?

• Star campaigners are popular individuals with significant fan followings and are chosen by political parties to contest or campaign during elections.

Legal Provisions:

• The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA) governs the expenditure incurred by 'leaders of a political party,' commonly referred to as star campaigners.
  • A recognized political party (National or State) can appoint a maximum of 40-star campaigners.
  • A registered unrecognized political party can appoint up to 20.
• The names of star campaigners must be communicated to the Election Commission (EC) and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) within seven days from the date of election notification.
• For multi-phase elections, political parties can submit separate lists of star campaigners for different phases.

Expenses and Apportionment:

• If a star campaigner seeks votes for contesting candidates or shares the dais with them, rally/meeting expenses are apportioned to the election expenditure of those candidates.
• Boarding/lodging expenses incurred by the star campaigner while campaigning for candidates are included in the expenditure accounts of those candidates.
• If candidates travel with the star campaigner, 50% of the star campaigner's travel expenditure is apportioned to those candidates.

Special Cases:

• When a Prime Minister or former Prime Minister serves as a star campaigner, the government bears the expenditure on security, including bullet-proof vehicles.
• However, if the Prime Minister is accompanied by another star campaigner, the candidate must bear 50% of the expenditure on security arrangements.