The Aryavarth Express New Delhi, March 26: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Thursday that enforcement agencies have confiscated illicit inducements worth more than Rs 400 crore since the announcement of assembly elections in four states and Puducherry, along with several bye-elections earlier this month.
Between February 26 and March 25, following the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS), authorities seized a total of Rs 408.82 crore in illegal items. The haul includes cash of Rs 17.44 crore, liquor worth Rs 37.68 crore (over 16.3 lakh litres), drugs valued at Rs 167.38 crore, precious metals worth Rs 23 crore, and other freebies exceeding Rs 163.30 crore.
The ECI had announced assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry on March 15, alongside bye-elections in six states. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect immediately.
To prevent electoral malpractices, the Commission deployed over 5,173 flying squads and more than 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) for surprise checks at strategic locations across poll-bound regions.
On March 24, the Commission held a high-level review meeting with Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police, Chief Electoral Officers, and senior officials from the five states and UT, along with 12 neighboring regions. Officials were instructed to ensure elections are free from violence, intimidation, and inducements through coordinated enforcement efforts.
The ECI emphasized that routine checks should not inconvenience the public. District Grievance Committees have been set up to address complaints arising from enforcement actions.
The Commission also reported strong citizen engagement via its C-Vigil app, which allows reporting of MCC violations. Between March 15 and March 25, 70,944 complaints were received, of which 70,831 were resolved—95.8% within 100 minutes. A dedicated call center (1950) further enables direct grievance redressal with district election authorities.
The ECI reaffirmed its commitment to technology-driven monitoring, swift enforcement, and ensuring transparent, inducement-free elections.
