The Election Commission announced that over Rs 400 crore in illicit inducements like cash, liquor, and drugs have been seized since assembly elections were declared in four states and a union territory, as part of its crackdown on malpractices.
Over Rs 400 Crore in Illicit Inducements Seized
The Election Commission of India on Thursday said that enforcement agencies have seized illicit inducements worth over Rs 400 crore since the announcement of assembly elections in four states and a union territory and bye-elections earlier this month.
According to the poll body, seizures amounting to Rs 408.82 crore have been made between February 26 and March 25 following the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS). The confiscated items include cash worth Rs 17.44 crore, liquor valued at Rs 37.68 crore (over 16.3 lakh litres), drugs worth Rs 167.38 crore, precious metals worth Rs 23 crore, and other freebies exceeding Rs 163.30 crore.
The ECI had announced the schedule for the legislative assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry on March 15, along with bye-elections in six states. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force immediately thereafter.
Measures to Ensure Inducement-Free Elections
To curb electoral malpractices, the Commission has deployed over 5,173 flying squads across poll-bound states and Union Territories to respond swiftly to complaints. Additionally, more than 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have been stationed to conduct surprise checks at key locations, EC said.
The Commission had also convened a high-level review meeting on March 24 with Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police, Chief Electoral Officers, and senior officials from senior officers from the 5 poll-going states and UTs and their 12 bordering states and UTs. Officials were directed to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free elections through enhanced coordination among enforcement agencies. Emphasising citizen convenience, the ECI instructed authorities to ensure that routine checks do not lead to harassment of the public. District Grievance Committees have been constituted to address complaints arising from enforcement actions.
Citizen Participation via c-Vigil App
Meanwhile, the Commission reported significant public participation through its C-Vigil app, which allows citizens and political parties to report violations of the MCC. Between March 15 and March 25, a total of 70,944 complaints were received, out of which 70,831 were disposed of. Notably, 95.8 per cent of complaints were resolved within 100 minutes, EC said.
Complaint Redressal Mechanisms
A dedicated complaint redressal mechanism is also in place, including a call centre helpline (1950), enabling citizens to directly approach district election authorities with their grievances.
The ECI reiterated its commitment to conducting transparent and inducement-free elections, backed by technology-driven monitoring and swift enforcement action. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)