AHMEDABAD: If expense statements submitted to Election Commission of India are to be believed, average spending in the 2009 Lok Sabha election in the state is around Rs 14.59 lakh - 58% of the permissible limit of Rs 25 lakh.

The average spending in Gujarat was almost equal to the average spending of Rs 14.62 lakh across the country. The Association of Democratic Reforms released a report of the expenditure analysis of the 437 MPs.

The ADR report states that the maximum spending in the state was by Porbandar MP Vitthal Radadia who spent 20.11 lakh. Radadia was a Congress MLA who later joined the BJP and won the bypoll as well. However, Dinsha Patel, the Member of Parliament from Kheda only spent Rs 4.54 lakh which was the lowest.

According to the report, over ten out of 26 MPs spent more than Rs 15 lakh. Former deputy Prime Minister and MP from Gandhinagar L K Advani spent Rs 14.66 lakh.

The two MPs of Ahmedabad city spent Rs 14.53 lakh (Kiritsinh Solanki from Ahmedabad West) and Rs 13.43 (Harin Pathak from Ahmedabad East).

Officials said that the apart from Dinsha, the other two MPS who spent less than 50% of the permissible limit of Rs 25 lakh were Mukesh Gadhvi from Banaskantha (Rs 9.18 lakh) and Vikram Madam from Jamnagar (Rs 10.93 lakh). Gadhvi died after the election inviting a by-election.

ADR's report stated that the maximum spending was incurred on public meetings and processions, campaign materials, campaigning through electronic and print media, expense incurred on vehicles, expenses on erection of gates, arches, banner among others