ECI Seizes Over Rs 1,000 Crore in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal Polls

According to the Commission, the seizures include cash, liquor, narcotic substances, precious metals, and various forms of freebies, all of which were allegedly intended to influence voters and manipulate electoral outcomes, an official ECI press note stated while elaborating on the nature and extent of the confiscations.

The Commission revealed that since the activation of the Election Seizure Management System on February 26, 2026, enforcement agencies have confiscated illegal inducements worth Rs 472.89 crore in West Bengal and Rs 599.24 crore in Tamil Nadu, thereby bringing the combined total value of seizures to Rs 1,072.13 crore across the two poll-bound states.

In West Bengal, the seizures included Rs 27.48 crore in unaccounted cash, over 39 lakh litres of liquor valued at Rs 102.45 crore, drugs worth Rs 108.11 crore, precious metals worth Rs 55.88 crore, and freebies valued at Rs 178.83 crore, reflecting a wide range of inducements being tracked and intercepted by enforcement agencies.

Tamil Nadu accounted for seizures amounting to Rs 100.19 crore in cash, 1.17 lakh litres of liquor valued at Rs 3.85 crore, drugs worth Rs 76.72 crore, precious metals worth Rs 159.31 crore, and freebies valued at Rs 259.14 crore, the Commission said while providing a detailed state-wise break-up of the seizures.

To achieve this level of enforcement and monitoring, the Commission deployed as many as 5,011 Flying Squad Teams and 5,363 Static Surveillance Teams across the two states, tasked with responding swiftly to complaints and carrying out checks and inspections at multiple locations.

These teams were specifically mandated to respond to complaints within a stipulated time frame of 100 minutes and to conduct surprise checks, vehicle inspections, and verification drives at vulnerable points and high-risk areas.

The Commission emphasised that while strict and vigilant enforcement is necessary to curb electoral malpractices, ordinary citizens must not be unnecessarily inconvenienced, harassed, or subjected to undue scrutiny during inspections and checking drives.

District Grievance Committees have been constituted and operationalised to address complaints related to enforcement activities and to ensure that any grievances raised by the public are resolved in a timely and transparent manner, the ECI said.

The Election Commission reiterated its commitment to conducting violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free elections, maintaining that all necessary steps are being taken to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process.

Citizens and political parties have been encouraged to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct through the C-Vigil module available on the ECINET platform, which enables real-time reporting and tracking of complaints.

Deputy Director P. Pawan, in the official press note, highlighted that the unprecedented scale of seizures reflects the Commission's firm determination to curb electoral malpractices and to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in the electoral process.

The figures, he added, underline the heightened vigilance of enforcement agencies and demonstrate the seriousness with which the Commission is tackling attempts to undermine the integrity of elections in both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

- IANS