NEW DELHI: The poll panel on Saturday said that the election-time seizures of inducements reached to Rs 8,889 crore that aimed to influence voters, as confiscation of narcotics and other contrabands amounted to 45 percent of the total seizure.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) also revealed that over 4.24 lakh complaints were received from citizens on cVigil app in the last two months and 99.9 per cent of them have been disposed of.
At 45 per cent, drugs and other contrabands constituted the largest among the total seizures, as narcotics worth around Rs 3,959 crore were seized, the ECI said.
Drugs, liquor, precious metals, freebies and cash influence elections in varying degrees, some flowing directly as inducements while others through reduced levels of circulation of money, the Commission said in an official statement.
The poll panel has laid special emphasis on the seizure of narcotics and psychotropic substances, the Commission noted, while adding that an analysis of data found that states and Union Territories (UTs) that used to be transit zones are increasingly becoming consumption territories of drugs.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, Narcotics Control Bureau and the Indian Coast Guard in joint operations have made three high-value seizures of drugs in just three days, amounting to Rs 892 crore, the poll panel noted.
Rs 849.15 crore in cash, Rs 814.85 crore worth of liquor, drugs worth Rs 3,958.85 crore and precious metals worth Rs 1,260.33 crore have been seized, it added.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, while noting that in the Lok Sabha elections the cVigil app has emerged as a highly effective tool in the hands of people to flag MCC violations, the ECI said, “Since the announcement of polls, over 4.24 lakh complaints have been received through the App as on May 15, 2024. Out of these 4,23,908 complaints have been disposed of and the remaining 409 cases are under process. Nearly 89% complaints were resolved within a 100 minute timeline, a promise made by the ECI.”
It said, “Citizens have used the App for checking electoral malpractices in use of loudspeakers beyond prescribed time or noise levels, campaigning during ban period, placing banners or posters without permission, deployment of vehicles beyond permitted limit, property defacement and display of firearms.”
Box1: Item wise seizures
Drugs: Rs 3,958.85 Crore
Cash: Rs 849.15 Crore
Liquor: Rs 814.85 Crore
Precious Metal: Rs 1,260.33 Crore
Freebies: Rs 2,006.56 Crore
Box 2: Top five states, where high quantum of seizures made:
Gujarat: Rs 1,461.73 Crore
Rajasthan: Rs 1,133.82 Crore
Punjab: Rs 734.54 Crore
Maharashtra: Rs 685.81Crore
NCT of Delhi: Rs 653.31 Crore
Box 3: Category-wise complaints via cVigil App
Religious or communal speeches: 2,883
Distribution of cash, liquor & freebies: 7,022
Display of firearms/intimidation: 2,430
Posters/Banners without permission: 3,24,228
Property defacement: 14,022
Campaigning during ban period: 4,742
Vehicle/convoy without permission: 2,697
Others: 66,293