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#elections #assemblyelection #keralaelections2026 Every election in India looks like a scoreboard — vote share, turnout, seat count. But there’s one number you rarely see: the real cost of fighting elections. While the official spending cap is Rs 40 lakh per candidate, ground reports suggest that serious candidates often spend up to Rs 20–30 crore per constituency. So where does this money come from? And how is it actually used? In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down the hidden economy of Indian elections, from cash distribution and booth operations to funding networks and voter targeting. Help us meet our annual target by March 31: https://rzp.io/l/ba1to8acam Power our election coverage: https://rzp.io/rzp/zTQadhQFFT Unpack story behind bulldozers in Kashi: https://rzp.io/rzp/nl6yv82bk Join the #FightToBreathe: https://rzp.io/rzp/T4Ob0FCb Download the accessible Newslaundry app: https://www.newslaundry.com/download-app Join us on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va61PEo0QeacOqU9vr2k Follow and engage with us on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/newslaundry Twitter: https://twitter.com/newslaundry Instagram: https://instagram.com/newslaundry