Election Commission Seizes Record Rs. 4650 Crore Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls, Surpassing 2019 Figures

On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared that it is expected to document the “highest ever seizures of inducements” in the history of the Lok Sabha elections. According to a notification from the poll board, enforcement agents had already confiscated a record ₹4,650 crore before the first round of polling started. This was “a significant increase over the ₹3,475 crores seized during the entire Lok Sabha election in 2019.”

As part of a “level playing field,” the Election Commission stated that “the enhanced seizures reflect ECI’s unwavering commitment to monitor inducements and curb electoral malpractices, particularly in favor of smaller and less resourceful parties.” Significantly, opioids and drugs—which are the Commission’s specific focus—account for 45% of the seizures.

The poll body continued, “The seizures have been made possible by thorough planning, increased cooperation and coordinated deterrent action by agencies, proactive public participation, and optimal use of technology. The commission also made statistics on the distribution of inducements that were seized and made available for public consumption by the state. With a seizure of over ₹778 crore, Rajasthan topped the list. Gujarat came in second with ₹605 crore, and Maharashtra came in third with roughly ₹431 crore.

CEC Rajiv Kumar underlines ‘Money Power’ as ‘4M’ challenges

In addition to “money, muscle, misinformation, and Model Code of Conduct violations,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar highlighted “money power” as one of the four major challenges when he announced the polls last month. The use of black money, above and beyond political finance and the accurate declaration thereof, may upset the level playing field in favor of a more resourceful party or candidate in particular geographies, according to the commission’s statement from Monday.

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The poll authority claims that the ECI’s resolve to hold fair elections for the Lok Sabha without the use of bribes or other electoral irregularities is largely dependent on the seizures. On April 12, the poll panel, which included Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Gyanesh Kumar, and CEC Rajiv Kumar, evaluated every Central Observer stationed in Phase 1 of the polls that were set for April 19. Talks centered on strengthening, observing, and verifying to ensure that the election process is free from inducements. According to the poll body’s statement, the increasing seizures show the ECI’s unwavering commitment to keeping an eye on inducements and stopping electoral malpractices to preserve a “level playing field,” which benefits smaller and less resourceful parties in particular.