The Election Commission of India has seized illegal cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and freebies worth more than Rs 650 crore to ensure fair elections in the ongoing state Assembly polls and bypolls. Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System on February 26, a total of Rs 651.51 crore has been seized, indicating increased vigilance in poll-bound areas. The Commission announced the election schedule for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, as well as bypolls in six states on March 15.
Strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct has been implemented following the election schedule announcement. The Election Commission directed all states and Union Territories to prevent inducements and uphold free and fair elections. To enhance enforcement, over 5,173 flying squads have been deployed to respond to complaints within 100 minutes. Additionally, more than 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams are conducting surprise checks and monitoring suspicious activities at crucial locations.
Among the states, West Bengal reported the highest seizures at Rs 319 crore, followed by Tamil Nadu at Rs 170 crore and Assam at Rs 97 crore. Kerala and Puducherry recorded seizures worth Rs 58 crore and Rs 7 crore, respectively. The seized items include drugs valued at Rs 230 crore, freebies and other inducements worth Rs 231.01 crore, 29.63 lakh litres of liquor valued at Rs 79.3 crore, cash seizures of Rs 53.2 crore, and precious metals worth Rs 58 crore.
The Election Commission has held multiple review meetings with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers, Directors General of Police, and senior officials from poll-bound states and neighboring regions. Various enforcement agencies have been instructed to maintain strict vigilance to ensure violence-free and intimidation-free elections. Measures have been taken to address complaints related to checking and inspection processes through District Grievance Committees.
Citizens and political parties are encouraged to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct using the C-Vigil module on the ECINET platform.
