Electoral Cash Seizure - Setting a record that no Indian will be proud of..!

New Delhi, April 17: While the Lok Sabha elections are underway, the Election Commission of India via various enforcement agencies has seized suspected cash, liquor and drugs to maintain the dignity of the election procedure.

 

The Election Commission is publishing daily progressive seizure reports, outlining the amount of goods seized each day that is considered and believed to be used to violate election rules. The total cash seizure by the edge of first phase of poll equals to be Rs 607.32 crores which is twice of that abducted in the entire election season of 2014, i.e. Rs 303.86 crores.

 

The states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands capped the said polls in the first phase itself, waving the ballots away for the season.

 

 

As on the date of first phase polling the EC has seized large amounts of cash in several states, and more than a tonne of gold in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The sum of liquor and drugs seized amounts to Rs 198.71 crores and Rs 1091.67 crore respectively while the gold seizure leads at Rs 486.73 crores.

 

The monetary value abducted in alone Andhra Pradesh counts Rs 133.95 crores, being the second highest count after Tamil Nadu. However, the lowest of the cash seizure amounted for the poll day was nil in the state of Mizoram and Lakshdweep islands.

Comparing the said figures of the 16th Lok Sabha elections in 2014, In the cash seizures list, Andhra Pradesh had topped the list then tallying with over Rs 154.48 crore intercepted followed by Karnataka with over Rs 28 crore, Maharashtra with over Rs 43 crores. As to liquor interceptions, EC teams seized a maximum of 4 lakhs of litres in Andhra Pradesh amounting to Rs 4 crores total. The sum of liquor and drugs seized in all then was Rs 91.8 crores and 804.59 crores respectively.

 

With 6 more phases to go it seems that this election is going to see a record break seizure of cash, gold and liquor. But this is a record which no Indian should be proud of. The glorious tradition of India’s democracy has repeatedly shown that people go beyond such allurements to Vote in their perceived national interest.

 

Involving around millions of voters, India's general election will be the world's largest democratic exercise, with the vote taking place in more six phases between April 18 and May 19. Results will be announced on May 23.