HYDERABAD/KHAMMAM: In the run-up to the Assembly elections, Telangana has earned a dubious distinction, shooting up to the top spot among the other poll-bound states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram, as per a report from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
As of November 20, Telangana recorded the highest seizures of Rs 659.20 crore in cash and kind. The breakdown of these seizures is Rs 225.23 crore in cash, liquor valued at Rs 86.82 crore, precious metals (gold, silver, and diamonds) worth Rs 191.02 crore, drugs and narcotics totalling Rs 103.74 crore, and freebies such as laptops, vehicles, cookers and sarees valued at Rs 52.41 crore.
The ECI expects further seizures as voting day nears. Telangana and Rajasthan are both scheduled for elections on November 30, and the ECI is intensifying efforts to curb illicit practices that could influence voters and thus ensure free and fair elections. For now, the poll panel’s efforts appear to have paid off — Mizoram reported seizures of Rs 49.60 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 323.70 crore, Chhattisgarh Rs 76.90 crore and Rajasthan Rs 650.70 crore.
Since the announcement of the elections, seizures exceeding Rs 1,760 crore have been reported across the five states, surpassing the figures from the 2018 Assembly Elections by more than seven times (Rs 239.15 crore). The ECI, in its bid to ensure a level playing field, has integrated technology into the monitoring process through the Election Expenditure Monitoring System (ESMS).
Rs 6.3 crore worth liquor seized at border check post
Law enforcement officials seized liquor, ID liquor and ganja worth Rs 6,32,18,443 at the Andhra Pradesh - Telangana border check post near Khammam on Monday. Assistant Excise Enforcement Commissioner G Ganesh said, “We received information that some people were planning to dump liquor and ganja to distribute them in villages in view of the elections.’’