BAHAWALPUR, Jan 10: The postponement of Jan 8 elections has created financial hardships for the candidates of national and provincial assemblies and a number of them seem helpless to bear the further expenditure for over one month.

Reports said candidates of different political parties had already exhausted the budget in accordance with the election commission’s limit by Dec 27, 2007 when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi. At present a number of candidates owe hundreds of thousands of rupees to painters and publishers who are chasing the aspirants and their supporters for payment.

The election offices of the candidates were wearing a deserted look or swarmed by these painters to collect their outstanding dues. Sponsors of publicity campaign of candidates have also `disappeared.’

The real estate business has considerably slumped due to the possibilities of the sale of landed properties by the candidates to meet the increasing election expenses.