New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday that enforcement agencies have seized illegal cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and freebies worth more than Rs 650 crore so far to ensure inducement-free elections in the ongoing state Assembly polls and bypolls.

According to the Commission, a total seizure of Rs 651.51 crore has been recorded since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, reflecting intensified vigilance in poll-bound regions.

The poll body had announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bypolls in six states, on March 15.

Following this, strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was put in place, with directions issued to all states and Union Territories to prevent inducements and ensure free and fair elections.

To strengthen enforcement, the ECI deployed more than 5,173 flying squads tasked with responding to complaints within 100 minutes.

Additionally, more than 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have been stationed at key locations to conduct surprise checks and monitor suspicious activities.

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 recorded seizures worth Rs 58 crore, while Puducherry accounted for Rs 7 crore.

In terms of categories, drugs accounted for Rs 230 crore of the total seizures, followed by freebies and other inducements worth Rs 231.01 crore.

Liquor seizures amounted to more than 29.63 lakh litres, valued at Rs 79.3 crore, while cash seizures stood at Rs 53.2 crore. Precious metals worth Rs 58 crore were also confiscated during the enforcement drive.

The Commission said it has conducted multiple review meetings with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers, Directors General of Police, and senior officials from poll-bound states as well as 12 neighbouring states and Union Territories. Heads of various enforcement agencies were also instructed to maintain strict vigil to ensure violence-free and intimidation-free elections.

At the same time, the ECI emphasised that enforcement measures should not inconvenience or harass ordinary citizens. District Grievance Committees have been set up to address complaints related to checking and inspection processes.

The Commission also encouraged citizens and political parties to report violations of the MCC through the C-Vigil module available on the ECINET platform.

–IANS

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