Banners, lights, corner meetings and sound systems running for hours on generators — how much do the trappings of an election campaign cost, and who pays for them? Should anyone care?

Despite ECP limits on campaign spending — Rs2 million for provincial seat campaigns and Rs4 million for national — campaigning norms and the current system of financing, a mix of self-funding and large donations from patrons, hold back candidates who may not have access to the networks of social capital and money.

“A deal involving Rs5m for banners, flexes and posters for an entire constituency is completely normal,” said Ejaz Bhatti, a graphics designer at a printing press on Link Road.

“And there’s no talk of permissible spending limits or anything; that’s just not how this works.”

But despite traditional patterns of money influencing election results, some parties have called for paring down campaign spending for a more level playing field when vying for votes.

Read Sarah Eleazar’s front page piece here.