High-stakes Lok Sabha elections to be held in seven phases (representative)
New Delhi:
India’s Election Commission (EC) today said law enforcement authorities have so far seized over Rs 4,650 crore even before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections begins later this week.
“The Election Commission is expected to achieve the highest collection of inducement money in the history of Lok Sabha elections,” a press release issued by the poll panel said.
The poll panel said authorities have seized funds worth 1 billion rupees every day since the eve of the March 1 Lok Sabha elections.
“This marks a significant increase from the Rs 3,475 crore seized throughout the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” the statement said.
Drugs and freebies have seen the highest increase in seizures so far compared to the 2019 election. The poll team seized drugs worth Rs 2,068.8 crore as against Rs 1,279.9 crore worth in 2019.
The seizure is part of the Election Commission’s determination to curb electoral fraud and ensure a level playing field ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the release said.
The high-stakes Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases, with the first phase starting on April 19. Counting will take place on June 4.
States that will go to polls in the first phase include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu UT, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
