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Bengal Polls: Rs 327 Crore in Illegal Items Seized Ahead of Crucial Vote

The Election Commission has reported massive seizures totaling Rs 327.44 crore in West Bengal ahead of the state's two-phase Assembly polls. The confiscated items include Rs 11.01 crore in cash, Rs 57.71 crore in illegal liquor, and Rs 67.35 crore in drugs and narcotics. Authorities have also removed widespread unauthorized political advertisements and cleared property defacements across all districts. The commission is rigorously monitoring the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and security deployment for the polls scheduled for April 23 and 29.

Key Points: Rs 327 Crore Seized in Bengal Ahead of Assembly Polls

  • Rs 327.44 crore total seizure value
  • Rs 67.35 crore in drugs seized
  • Rs 162.80 crore in freebies/other items
  • 251 unlicensed arms recovered
2 min read

Bengal polls: Illegal items valued at Rs 327.44 crore seized from Feb 26 to April 6

Election Commission seizes cash, liquor, drugs worth Rs 327.44 crore in West Bengal from Feb 26 to April 6 ahead of two-phase polls.

"The ECI remains committed to ensuring the conduct of polls characterised by the highest standards of transparency, impartiality, and security - Election Commission Statement"

Kolkata, April 7

The Election Commission of India, on Tuesday, told that from February 26 to April 6, illegal and unauthorised items worth around Rs 327.44 crore have been seized in West Bengal, which is going for the crucial two-phase Assembly polls later this month.

The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) Office has released a press statement giving details of such seizures.

Of the total amount, the cash seizure amounted to Rs 11.01 crore.

The monetary value of the illegal liquor seized is Rs 57.71 crore, while the value of drugs and narcotics seized is Rs 67.35 crore.

The value of the precious metals seized during the same period is Rs 38.55 crore, while the value of freebies/other items (as per the statement) is Rs 162.80 crore.

As per the press statement, the number of unlicensed arms and weapons seized till April 4 in the state is 251, and the number of cartridges seized is 401.

A total of 127.7 kg of explosives have been seized till the same period, and the number of bombs seized stands at 887.

At the same time, the state CEO's office had told that extensive drives conducted for the removal of unauthorised political advertisements are underway.

"As per the latest reports, widespread public and private property defacements have been cleared across all districts and the District Election Officers have certified removal of defacement from all the public properties under their jurisdictions," the press statement from the CEO's office said.

"The ECI remains committed to ensuring the conduct of polls characterised by the highest standards of transparency, impartiality, and security across all 294 Assembly Constituencies in West Bengal. As the state progresses toward the scheduled polling phases on April 23 and April 29, the office of the West Bengal CEO is rigorously monitoring the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). This daily brief provides a comprehensive overview of the latest operational developments," the statement added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The breakdown is shocking. Over ₹67 crore in drugs and narcotics? That's a public health crisis being used for political gain. Hope the seizures continue and the sources are properly investigated.
A
Arjun K
Good work by EC and CAPF! But this is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure. The "freebies" worth ₹162 crore tells you everything about the election culture here. Voters need to be smarter than free sarees and liquor.
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Priyanka N
While the seizures are impressive, I respectfully question if this action is evenly applied. There's always a perception of bias. Transparency in which party's workers or areas these come from would build more trust. 🙏
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Vikram M
887 bombs and 127 kg explosives? This isn't just about winning an election, it's about terrorizing voters. Shameful. The central forces must ensure no booth capturing happens. Jai Hind!
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Karthik V
The sheer scale of liquor seized (₹57 cr) shows the old formula of "booze for votes" is still strong. When will our politics move beyond this? On a positive note, glad the illegal hoardings are being removed. Cities look cleaner.

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