Over 10-fold increase in poll-related seizures in Gujarat: Election Commission
1 min read . Updated: 01 Dec 2022, 12:57 PM IST
PremiumSeizures during the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, where polling concluded on 12 November , rose over 500% as compared to 2017 figures.
New Delhi: Cash, drugs, liquor and freebies worth over ₹290 crore have so far been seized in poll-bound Gujarat. This is over 10 times the recoveries made during the 2017 assembly election in the state, the Election Commission of India said.
“The total seizures during the 2017 state polls were worth ₹27.21 crores while as per official records, as on November 29, 2022, the total drug seizure amounted to ₹290.24 crores," ECI stated in its release.
The first phase of polling is being held in Gujarat on Thursday, while the second phase will be held on 5 December. The results will be declared on 8 December.
EC informed that a significant “ongoing seizure process of heavy consignment of drugs" is being led by a team of officers of ATS Gujarat in Vadodara (rural) and Vadodara city. The team has identified two mephedrone drug manufacturing units and unearthed about 143 kg of mephedrone (synthetic drug) worth about ₹478 crore.
They have detained five persons from Nadiad and Vadodara and a criminal case is being registered in ATS Police Station, Ahmedabad under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985. “The operation is in progress and complete details will be made available once the operation is completed," the poll panel said.
“The meticulous planning, exhaustive reviews and expenditure monitoring through a host of enforcement agencies by Election Commission of India has produced stellar results leading to record seizures in the ongoing assembly elections in the state of Gujarat," it said.
Meanwhile, seizures during the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, where polling concluded on 12 November, rose over 500% as compared to 2017 figures.
“As compared to ₹9.03 crore worth of seizure in 2017 assembly elections, the seizure in 2022 rose to ₹57.24 crore. Even in the ongoing by-election in one parliamentary constituency and six assembly constituencies in Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, a significant seizure of ₹5.40 crore has been made," the EC said.
