Context

Recently, Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was appointed as a ‘star campaigner’ by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its campaign in Gujarat.

About Star Campaigners

• A star campaigner is a famous person with a huge fan following chosen by a political party to contest or campaign during elections. The star campaigner can be anyone – a political heavyweight, a film star, a well-known celebrity, or even a sportsperson.
• They are nominated by the concerned political parties specifying their constituencies and duration of the status.
• There is no law governing who can or cannot be made a star campaigner.
  • The only requirement is that these persons have to be members of the political party that appoints them.

How Many Star Campaigners Can Be There?

Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RP Act) provides that 

• A Recognised political party (national or State) can appoint a maximum of 40 star campaigners
• A Registered unrecognized political party can appoint up to 20. 
  • These names are to be communicated to the Election Commission (EC) and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the States as applicable within seven days from the date of notification of such election. 
  • In case of a multi-phase election, a political party can submit a separate list of star campaigners for different phases.

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Benefits on Expenditure incurred by ‘leaders of a political party’/Star Campaigners & a Candidate

• According to The RP Act 1951, The Election Commission has fixed ₹95 lakh expenses limit for candidates of bigger Lok Sabha constituencies and up to ₹75 lakh for candidates of smaller constituencies. 
• Political parties cover all costs of star campaigners But the star campaigner’s expenses are not deducted from the candidate’s expenditure. 
  • It allows the candidates extra spending opportunity beyond the poll panel’s ₹75 – ₹95 Lakh limit for Lok Sabha polls.
  • Star campaigners would be vote-fetchers for candidates set up by respective parties without affecting their expenditure limit.
  • In case, the star campaigner shares the stage with the candidate or even takes the name of the candidate in his speech, his/her charges will have to be borne by the candidate from his expenses.
  • Expenditure On Travel : Expenditure incurred by the ‘leaders of a political party’ on account of travel by air or any other means of transport for campaigning for their political party shall not be deemed to be part of the election expenditure of a candidate of such party.
    • However, if any candidate(s) travel with the star campaigner, then 50% of the travel expenditure of the star campaigner shall also be apportioned to such candidate(s).
  • PM or Former PM  as a Star Campaigners: When a Prime Minister or a former Prime Minister is a star campaigner, the expenditure on security including on bullet-proof vehicles will be borne by the government. 
    • But if the Prime Minister is accompanied by another star campaigner, the candidate has to bear 50 per cent of expenditure on the security arrangements.