While it is common knowledge that polls at various levels in a democracy spur rampant graft, chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi painted a far grimmer picture on Friday calling elections "the biggest source of corruption" on Friday.

"Election has become the biggest source of corruption in India today. The incidents of paid news in particular is on the rise in the country. A total of 86 cases of paid news have been brought to our notice and people have been pulled up for it," Quraishi said delivering a lecture in the capital.

While expressing his confidence in being able to "plug corruption," the CEC said, "Treatises between media houses and political outfits was disturbing"

"First it was surrogate advertising, now political parties and media houses have become even more daring by disguising election manifestos as editorials. This is not just unethical but disturbing but we are closely monitoring this," he said.

Quraishi also raised concerns about state-funding of elections, saying the process would " further fuel corruption."

"State-funding of elections is certain to further fuel corruption and my office is doing all that it can to stop this move," he said.

He also promised that those having "distortions" in their expenditure list during the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will be pulled up.

"If at the end of the campaigning there is the slightest suggestion of the candidate having misused the money, we will look into the matter," he said.