Illegal items worth over Rs 1,400 crore seized during elections in five states
New Delhi, May 07: The Election Commission of India (ECI), while strictly enforcing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the general elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and by-elections to seven Assembly seats in five states, seized illegal items worth over ₹ 1,400 crore.
The Commission held several rounds of review meetings with Chief Secretaries, CEOs, DGPs and senior officials of the concerned states. Besides, 7,470 Flying Squad teams and 7,470 Static Surveillance Teams along with 376 Expenditure Observers were deployed to ensure that the elections remain violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free.
These seizure operations were made more effective through the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) platform, which facilitated coordination and information sharing among various agencies. A total of ₹1,444.96 crore was seized through this platform, which has been operational since February 26, till May 6.
State-wise figures:
– Tamil Nadu: ₹662.28 crore
– West Bengal: ₹573.41 crore
– Assam: ₹117.24 crore
– Kerala: ₹80.67 crore
– Puducherry: ₹9.72 crore
The Commission stated that this seizure represents a 40.14 percent increase compared to the 2021 general elections, when a total of ₹1,029.93 crore was seized. West Bengal recorded the highest increase of 68.92 percent, while Tamil Nadu saw an increase of 48.40 percent.
