EC seizes ₹558 crore ahead of Maharashtra, Jharkhand Assembly polls and byelections

While operations in Maharashtra alone have yielded about ₹280 crore since the announcement of the election, seizures worth ₹158 crore have been made in Jharkhand so far

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has seized cash, freebies, liquor, drugs, and precious metals worth ₹558 crore in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand as well as the byelections in many States.

While operations in Maharashtra alone have yielded about ₹280 crore since the announcement of the election, seizures worth ₹158 crore have been made in Jharkhand so far.

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Freebies accounted for more than 40% of the total seizures, the poll body said on Wednesday (November 6, 2024).

According to the EC, combined seizures in the two poll-bound States mark a 3.5 time increase as compared to Assembly elections in 2019, when Maharashtra recorded seizures worth ₹103.61 crore and Jharkhand ₹18.76 crore.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had earlier sensitised officials on the “zero tolerance” of the EC towards any kind of inducements in elections. He also asked for joint teams from multiple agencies for clampdown on distribution and movement of illicit liquor, drugs, freebies, and cash.

At a recent meeting with the Chief Secretaries, Directors-General of Police (DGPs), Excise Commissioners and enforcement agencies of the two poll-going States and their neighbouring States and Union Territories, Mr. Kumar stressed on keeping a close vigil on movements across inter-State borders and also directed agencies to establish backward linkages of seizures for a wider deterrence.

The EC has been conducting regular follow-ups and reviews with each district while stressing use of information technology and precise data interpretation and active participation of enforcement agencies, which have led to a significant spurt in seizures, senior officials said.

Real-time reporting of interceptions and seizures with the EC’s Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) has also led to regular and precise reviews on expenditure monitoring by the commission and agencies themselves.

The poll body said it also kept a closer vigil in a total of 110 Assembly constituencies - 91 in Maharashtra and 19 in Jharkhand - which were marked as Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies.

Since the announcement of the Assembly elections and byelections, the commission has resolved 9,681 complaints through the cVigil App. The disposal rate of complaints has been over 98% with over 83% of the complaints being resolved in under 100 minutes.

Published - November 06, 2024 08:26 pm IST