Meet the Indian man who contest Lok Sabha Polls within Rs 300

Bangalore: Lok Sabha Polls 2014 is the longest and the costliest general election in the history of the country with the Election Commission of India estimating that the election will cost the exchequer Rs 3,500 crores, excluding the expenses incurred for security and individual political parties.Parties are expected to spend 30,500 crores in the election, according to the Centre for Media Studies and Rs 40 crore is being spent per Lok Sabha constituency.But here is a 53 year old man in Karnataka Shambhulinge Gowda who is contesting Lok Sabha polls just by spending Rs 300.Gowda is contesting from Bangalore South against Nandan Nilekani of the Congress and Ananthkumar, sitting MP from the BJP .Gowda has been contesting polls from last 6 year just elections spending a mere Rs 25 to Rs 30 per election.In 2008 , he contested from the Dasarahalli assembly constituency and stood fourth, surpassing Bahujan Samajwadi Party. In 2009, he contested from Mandya parliamentary constituency and stood seventh with 1.48 percent of total polled votes, surpassing once well known JD (U) which got 0.44 percent vote of total polled votes. Gowda is a Gandhian , he contest polls as an independent candidate. He cycles about 70 kilometres every day to his constituency and spends only a mere Rs 20-30 for poll expenses. He wears only a simple dhothi and has kept aside a poll fund of only Rs 1,000 that would cover all his expenses including the cost of tyre punctures, stands in stark contrast to the other candidates in the fray. He hails from a family of traditional ayurveda practitioners in Mandya district and resides in Nayandahalli.He is contesting for the tenth time, Gowda laims that he contest elections in a symbolic attempt to remind voters of Gandhian values. In the past too he has contested against cine-star Ambarish and Mandya MP Chaluvarayaswamy and many rich and well known celebs.