Seizure of cash, illicit inducements by ECI up 40 pc since 2021 Assembly polls

NEW DELHI: More than Rs 1,400 crore worth of illicit inducements were confiscated by the Election Commission of India (ECI)-appointed flying squads and surveillance teams during the recent elections in five states/Union Territory (UT), a 40.14 per cent increase in seizures as compared to 2021 state polls, an official said on Thursday.

West Bengal saw the highest increase in the seizures of 68.92 per cent and Tamil Nadu saw an increase in seizures of 48.40 per cent in 2026 as compared to the corresponding figures during the Assembly elections of 2021, an official statement said.

The total seizure figure of Rs 1,444.96 crore for the five states/UT -- between February 26 and May 6 -- is 40.14 per cent more than the 2021 Assembly elections in these states/UT when the seizures had amounted to Rs 1,029.93 crore, it added.

In West Bengal, the flying squads seized Rs 31.14 crore cash, liquor worth Rs 151.86 crore, drugs worth Rs 130.28 crore, precious metals worth Rs 69.36 crore and other freebies worth Rs 190.77 crore. The total value of seizures in the state was Rs 573.41 crore.

"In Tamil Nadu the total value of seizures was Rs 662.28 crore. This included Rs 105.22 crore cash, liquor worth Rs 4.94 crore, drugs valued Rs 78.61 crore, precious metal worth Rs 165.86 crore and other freebies worth Rs 307.65 crore," the statement said.

In Kerala, the ECI flying squads recovered Rs 80.67 crore worth of inducement items, including Rs 12.12 crore cash, liquor worth Rs 2.51 crore, drugs valued Rs 58.47 crore, precious metal worth Rs 2.25 crore and other freebies worth Rs 5.33 crore.