Inducements worth ₹1,445 crore were seized during the recent Assembly elections across five states and a Union Territory, marking a sharp rise from previous polls, the Election Commission said on Thursday.
The seizures represent a 40.14 per cent increase compared with the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, along with Puducherry, when recoveries totalled ₹1,029.93 crore.
Tamil Nadu recorded the highest cash seizures, while West Bengal topped the list in liquor and drug recoveries, reflecting varied patterns of inducement across states.
West Bengal also registered the highest jump in overall seizures at 68.92 per cent, followed by Tamil Nadu with a 48.40 per cent increase compared to the 2021 figures.
According to data shared by the poll panel, nearly ₹155 crore in illicit cash was recovered during the elections. In addition, liquor worth ₹183.33 crore — amounting to around 70 lakh litres, was seized.
Authorities also confiscated a wide range of inducements, including drugs, precious metals and consumer goods such as sarees, clothes, pressure cookers, utensils and television sets, which are often distributed to influence voters.
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Drugs worth nearly ₹3,338 crore were recovered across the states and the Union Territory, with West Bengal leading the chart at ₹30.28 crore. No drug recoveries were reported from Puducherry.
To curb electoral malpractices, the Election Commission deployed 376 expenditure observers drawn from the Indian Revenue Service and allied accounts services, along with 7,470 flying squad teams and an equal number of static surveillance teams.
The seizures were aided by the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS), an IT platform designed to enhance inter-agency coordination and streamline communication for sharing actionable inputs. The system was activated on February 26, ahead of the announcement of polls on March 15.
Polling for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry was held in April, with counting conducted on May 4.
The Election Commission said the extensive surveillance measures were aimed at ensuring elections remained free from inducement, intimidation and undue influence.
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