If a candidate’s expenses exceed the prescribed ceiling, this is treated as a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for which any candidate can file a case in the High Court within forty-five days of completion of elections. This practice is also punishable under the IPC. If convicted, the offending MP/MLA is unseated from his position and disqualified from contesting elections for a period of six years. However, as courts normally take a long time to decide such cases, this remedy is not adequate to curb the practice.
