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Home / IAS Preparation / Star Campaigners

Star Campaigner - Purpose, Revised Guidelines, Expenditures, Importance And Challenges

Last Updated on Nov 06, 2023
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A Star Campaigner is a candidate chosen by a political party to contest in a given constituency. Usually, they are chosen based on popularity, but there is no specific definition under Indian law and the Election Commission (EC) of India. The relevant political parties nominate them, outlining their constituencies and the term of the status.

Star Campaigner is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Polity subject in the General Studies Paper-2 syllabus.

In this article, we shall study the meaning and list of Star Campaigners in Indian Political parties.

Study the Dynamics of Indian Politics!

Who is a Star Campaigner?

A star campaigner is a person chosen by a political party. The person is chosen to represent a constituency. They’re frequently well-known and well-liked at the party. Unrecognised political parties are limited to fielding a maximum of 20 campaigners, whilst recognised (mainstream) parties can field a maximum of 40. Within a week of being notified of an election, the Election Commission receives a list of the top campaigners.

The Election Commission of India recently withdrew Kamalnath Singh’s star campaigner designation as a Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister. The EC cited Kamal Nath’s numerous infractions of the model code of behaviour set by the body as the cause for his disqualification.

Later, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the EC lacked the authority to deprive a candidate of their star campaigner designation.

Purpose of STAR Campaigner

If candidates want to cut down campaign costs accountability, they must confine themselves to promoting the party. Political parties cover these costs under the Representation of People’s Act, for which a star campaigner plays a very important role. The Star Campaigner also catches the public's attention; thus, the promotion reaches more people.

Number of Star Campaigners

A “recognised” National or State party that has been certified as such by the ECI is permitted to propose up to forty-star campaigners. A political party that is not recognised can put forward nominations for a maximum of 20-star campaigners.

Need for Star Campaigners

The Star Campaigner can also be a celebrity and a famous face. Therefore star campaigner helps in promoting the constituency's vicinity and supports getting a vote bank for the political party.

Learn more about the Election Laws!

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List of Famous Star Campaigners in India

The following is a list of some of the most famous star campaigners in India:

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah
  • Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
  • BJP leader Smriti Irani
  • Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
  • Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao
  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin
  • Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
  • Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
  • Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel

Check out the article on the Political Parties and Pressure Groups!

Challenge of Delisting from the List of Star Campaigner
  • Delisting from the list of star campaigners can damage the candidate's image and popularity. This can make it difficult for the candidate to win the election.
  • Star campaigners are allowed to spend more money on their campaigns than other candidates. Delisting from the list of star campaigners means that the candidate will lose this financial advantage.
  • Star campaigners are given more coverage by the media than other candidates. Delisting from the list of star campaigners means that the candidate will lose this media coverage.
  • Star campaigners are allowed to campaign freely in any constituency. The delisted candidate will have to restrict their campaigning to their own constituency.

Check out the article on the German political system!

Revised Guidelines for Conduct of Star Campaigners

To promote free, fair, peaceful, transparent, ethical, and safe elections during the pandemic Coronavirus period, the Commission revises the following standards for Star Campaigners for all now taking place and future elections:

  • Only 30-star campaigners will be allowed for recognised National/State political parties throughout the epidemic, and only 15 for unrecognised registered political parties will be allowed.
  • As a result, the deadline for submitting a list of star campaigners has been extended from seven to ten days. Parties that have already filed a list of their most prominent campaigners must do so again within the allotted time period.
  • The district election authorities must be notified at least 48 hours before the commencement of the campaign if celebrity campaigners wish to participate in the race to ensure that all required safety precautions are taken.

Study about One Nation One Election!

Major Rules of Expenditures Of Star Campaigner

The ECI keeps track of the campaign expenses incurred by each candidate, which for most states in a single constituency amounts to Rs. 70 lakh. The star campaigner’s electioneering expenses are not deducted from the candidate’s poll expenses, allowing the latter additional leeway in campaign spending.

According to Model Code of Conduct guidelines, expenditure on security, including bulletproof vehicles, for a prime minister or a former prime minister who is a star campaigner have to be borne by the government, not the party or the individual candidate.

However, if another campaigner accompanies the prime minister, the individual candidate will be responsible for half of the costs associated with the necessary security measures.

Conclusion

Political parties think that voters will be drawn to the star candidates and vote for that party. Some other parties believe that celebrities who campaign can get more votes than regular people. But it also has much to do with how much money is spent on polls. Finally, the EC keeps track of how much each candidate spends on their campaign.

Also, check out the article on the List of Political Parties in India here!

Star Campaigner – Expenditure in Elections & List of Star Campaigners in Political Parties of India: Download PDF here!

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Star Campaigner - FAQs

The maximum number of star campaigners for recognised National/State political parties is 40, and for unrecognised registered political parties, the number is 20

The most important privilege is Star Campaigner’s campaigning cost is unaccounted into election spending. Also, in the case of a Central minister, the cost will be borne by the government

A star campaigner is a person chosen by a political party to represent them in a specific constituency. They're frequently well-known and well-liked at the party.

Yes, the Prime Minister can be the Star Campaigner in an election for an Individual or a Political Party as a whole.

According to the Model Code of Conduct, when a prime minister or a former prime minister is a Star Campaigner, the government will cover the cost of security, including the cost of the bullet-proof vehicles, and these costs won't be deducted from the party's or the candidate's individual election expenses.
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