New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on October 21 raised the ceiling of expenditure by candidates in Lok Sabha elections from Rs 15 to Rs 25 lakhs and those for Assemblies from Rs six to Rs 10 lakh.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, took this decision after holding consultations with the Election Commission, official sources said.

The Commission had agreed to a proposal for hiking the poll expenditure ceiling by candidates for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, they said, adding the Cabinet accepted the figures suggested by the poll panel.

PTI