7-fold jump in cash, booze hauls in 5 states compared to 2018 polls

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday said over Rs 1,760 crore worth of freebies, drugs, cash, liquor and precious metals aimed at inducing voters in the five poll-going states have been seized so far.

The poll panel said the seizures made since polls were announced on October 9 are more than seven times (Rs 239.15 crore) those made in the previous assembly elections in these states in 2018.

While assembly polls have already been held in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, voting will take place in Rajasthan and Telangana on November 25 and November 30 respectively.

According to an EC statement, seizures worth over Rs 1,400 crore were made in the past six state assembly elections held in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Karnataka, which was 11 times the seizures made in previous assembly elections in these states.

An EC functionary pointed out that while announcing the poll schedule for the five states, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had stressed on inducement-free elections to ensure a level-playing field for all candidates.