Five-fold increase in seizures in Himachal Pradesh compared to 2017 State Assembly elections
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has effected record seizures in the ongoing Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Gujarat witnessed seizures of Rs 71.88 crores in just a few days of the announcement of elections which surpasses even the seizures made in the entire duration of enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct in Assembly Elections, 2017 which was Rs 27.21 crores. Similarly, the seizures in Himachal Pradesh amounted to Rs 50.28 crores as compared to Rs 9.03 crores, marking a more than a five-fold increase.
In Gujarat, the ECI has marked 27 Assembly Constituencies as Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies for closer monitoring of these constituencies. The ECI informed that for effective monitoring to curb money power in Gujarat elections, the Commission has also deployed 69 Expenditure Observers.
“If citizens become vigilant and use cVigil App more extensively, it would go a long way in curbing money power in the elections,” the ECI stated today. It referred to the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s stress on “inducement-free” elections.
Details of seizures as on November 10, 2022, in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat:
The ECI said though these are early days after the polls were announced in Gujarat, the state police seized around 1,10,000 litres of liquor valued at Rs. 3.86 crores, despite Gujarat being a dry state. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) also reported a “massive” seizure amounting to Rs. 64 crores of toys and accessories which were being smuggled by way of misdeclaration and by resorting to concealment in import cargo at Mundra Port. Two persons including the mastermind were arrested in the case and further investigation is under progress.
The Commission visited Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in September 2022, for reviewing electoral preparedness and dedicated teams also visited various regions of the two States in October to oversee preparations for the conduct of Assembly Elections. In Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, while reviewing the preparedness of districts and enforcement agencies, emphasized tight vigil on illegal mining business and areas like liquor, suspicious cash and product arising out of which has the potential of vitiating elections. On the same lines, the Investigation Wing of the Income Tax Department, which is one of the main participating enforcement agencies, conducted raids on stone-crushing units in 27 premises of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining States and seized significant cash. It also conducted another search and seizure operation on manufacturers and traders of country liquor, wherein, unaccounted cash was seized and discrepancies in stock and account keeping were observed. Seizures, particularly relating to liquor, drugs and freebies, were also done by Police, Excise officials and other enforcement agencies. For effective monitoring to curb money power in Himachal Pradesh, the ECI said it has also deployed 23 Expenditure Observers.
Even in bye-elections, 2022 in 7 Assembly Constituencies in Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, in which polling concluded yesterday, seizures of Rs.9.35 crores were made. Record Seizures were made in “highly expenditure-sensitive” Munugode Assembly Constituency of Telangana where a significant amount of cash amounting to Rs 6.6 crores along with thousands of litres of liquor, Rs. 1.78 crores of precious metals were seized.
“The efforts on close monitoring will further continue in the poll-going States till completion of the ongoing elections and the figures of seizure is expected to rise further,” the ECI stated.
– global bihari bureau
