CHENNAI: Flying Squad and Static Surveillance Teams of Election Commission and Income Tax department have seized about Rs 109.4 crore worth of unaccounted cash, gold, liquor, and other valuables since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force in the State. “About Rs 43.67 crore cash and valuables including jewels, sarees, and liquor worth nearly Rs 65.78 crore have been seized,” Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told the reporters here on Monday. As on March 2, the State has 12.91 lakh voters above the age of 80. Among them, more than 80 per cent have opted to cast their votes through postal ballots.
“We have received 1,11,738 forms from voters above the age of 80 and 38,324 from Persons with Disabilities for casting votes through postal ballots. The last date for receiving applications is March 16,” said Sahoo. The door-delivery of voter ID cards was launched for 21 lakh voters whose names were added after November 2020. So far, 16.59 lakh voter ID cards have been delivered through speed posts and the rest of them will receive theirs in the next four days. “Digital voter card downloaded online is as valid as original card. More than one lakh voters have downloaded it so far,” he added.
The poll panel has received as many as 1,120 complaints regarding violation of MCC through c-vigil mobile application, of which, 695 have been resolved and other complaints are being looked into. A total of 1,324 FIRs have been registered against the members of political parties for various MCC violations.
The EC has so far issued ‘Star Campaigner’ passes for 455 people nominated by various parties. As many as 6,659 people have been detained as a preventive measure ahead of the polls. About 15,724 firearms have been returned to the police so far, Sahoo said. When asked over the delay in uploading affidavits of the candidates online, he said they will be uploaded in the EC’s website one day before the last day for nomination. The affidavits will carry details of the candidates’ assets and their criminal record including pending cases against them.
FLOW STOPPERS
Chennai: The Elephant Gate police arrested three persons for allegedly possessing counterfeit currency notes with a face value of Rs 4,10,000 in the denomination of Rs 500. The suspects were identified as Vimal Jain (30) from Pattalam, Chetan Patel (25) from Errukkancherry, and Chellaram (45) from MKB Nagar
Tiruvannamalai: The Flying Squad and Static Surveillance teams seized Rs 50.04 lakh cash and valuables worth Rs 1.81 lakh in Tiruvannamalai. The seizures took place in 50 different places, on Monday, in all the eight constituencies
Puducherry: The flying squad of Election Commission, on Sunday night, seized 1497 sarees worth Rs 15 lakhs from an apartment of a lower level BJP worker at Reddiarpalayam, on suspicion of having stored for distribution to the voters