Record poll seizures of over Rs 4,650 crores even before Phase I voting: ECI

Hyderabad: With the general elections 2024 underway, the ECI claimed that it is going to witness the highest-ever seizures of inducements recorded in the 75-year history of Lok Sabha elections in the country.

As per ECI data released on Monday, Enforcement agencies have made a record seizure of over Rs 4,650 crores even before the first phase of polling for the 18th Lok Sabha elections that commences on April 19. This is a sharp increase over Rs 3,475 crores seized during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

As much as 45 per cent of the seizures are of drugs and narcotics. As per a comparison of the seizures made in the 2019 and 2024 elections (March 1 to April 13), there has been a steep increase in the worth of seizures of freebies, drugs and liquor. A considerable increase is seen in the seizures of freebies which increased from Rs 60.15 crores in 2019 to Rs 1,142.49 crores in 2024.

In January and February, the months preceding the official announcement on March 16, countrywide seizures totalling another Rs 7,502 crores were recorded in the form of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and freebies. As per ECI, it amounts to Rs 100 crores in seizures daily since March 1.

This brings the total seizure to over Rs 12,000 crores so far with six weeks still left in the election period.

However, the value of seizures made of cash and precious metals in 2024 so far is lesser than the same in 2019.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the comparison of the seizure data during General Elections (GE):

Cash

Seizures in GE 2019: Rs 844 crores

Seizures in GE 2024: Rs 395.39 crores

Liquor

Seizures in GE 2019: Rs 304.6 crores

Seizures in GE 2024 (35,829,924.75 litres): Rs 489.3 crores

Drugs

Seizures in GE 2019: Rs 1279.9 crores

Seizures in GE 2024: Rs 2068.8 crores

Precious Metals

Seizures in GE 2019: Rs 987.11 crores

Seizures in GE 2024: Rs 562.1 crores

Freebies

Seizures in GE 2019: Rs 60.15 crores

Seizures in GE 2024: Rs 1142.49 crores

Constant surveillance

To prevent the use of black money from disturbing the level playing field in politics, on April 12, chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, reviewed all central observers deployed in Phase -1 of elections

Tightening, monitoring and checking were among the focus of deliberations.

In the press briefing during the announcement of the Parliamentary elections, Rajiv Kumar stressed strict compliance with BCAS instructions on surveillance and inspection of non-scheduled aircraft and helicopters by Income Tax, airport authorities and SPs of concerned districts, border agencies to keep a close watch on international check posts and GST authorities to closely monitor godowns, especially makeshift godowns meant for storing freebies.

Filling gaps within enforcement system

In an incident in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the commission suspended the flying squad team leader for laxity in duty and selective checking of a cavalcade of a prominent leader. Similarly, officials checked vehicles in the convoy of the chief minister of a state and also the vehicle of a deputy CM in another state. The commission has also taken strict action against approximately 106 government servants who have been found assisting politicians in campaigning, thereby violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and instructions.

Levels of enforcement

Enforcement of free and fair elections requires coordination among various branches of specialised enforcement and surveillance teams and the latest management technology.

Election Seizure Management System: ESMS is the latest in monitoring technology. It is an ECI in-house developed portal for real-time reporting of interceptions and seizures while avoiding duplication.

As per data, 6,398 district nodal officers of various agencies, 734 state nodal officers, 59,000 flying squads (FS) and Statics Surveillance Teams (SST) have been onboarded on the ESMS platform for exhaustive real-time monitoring and updates.

All nodal officials have been trained on various aspects of using ESMS. The system took firm root during Assembly elections in 2023 when Rs 2,014.26 crores were seized as against Rs 239.35 crores in the previous corresponding elections.

Coordination among enforcement branches: The largest number of enforcement agencies both from the Union and States have been assembled for collaborative effort among agencies. Each type of election illegal incentive is handled by one or more enforcement agencies.

- Cash and precious metals are monitored and acted upon by Income Tax, state police, RBI, SLBC, AAI, BCAS, State Civil Aviation, Enforcement Directorate, Department of Post and CISF.

- Flow of liquor is monitored and its influence on voters is curbed by the State Police, state excise and RPF.

- Narcotics and movement of drug dealers are covered by the State Police, NCB, ICG and DRI. 0

- Curbing distribution of freebies is handled by CGST, SGST, State Transport Department, Customs, and the State Police

- Keeping an eye on the activities of along the state and national borders is done by Assam Rifles, BSF, SSB, ITBP, CRPF, Forest Department and the State Police.

Country-wide inspections by ECI: Months before elections and more intensively from January 2024, senior officials from the EC visited every State and Union Territory to emphasise the importance of combating the influence of money in elections.

Districts were thoroughly reviewed, and discussions were held with chief secretaries, directors general of police (DGPs), and heads of enforcement agencies to assess their performance and encourage heightened vigilance against the misuse of financial resources during elections.

Field-level personnel are also subject to ongoing reviews by chief electoral officers (CEOs), observers, and district electoral officers (DEOs). Often, discoveries made by one agency ‘inform and guide’ the actions of others, leading to a unified and widespread deterrent effect. The commission has also emphasised the importance of joint teams comprising relevant agencies in inspecting inducements through various means—road, rail, sea, and air—during electoral visits to States/UTs.

Increased focus on drug menace: There was a substantial focus on drug seizures, which accounted for approximately 75 per cent of the total seizures in January and February 2024.

CEC Rajiv Kumar highlighted that besides the risk of dirty money being used to influence elections, drugs pose a serious social menace with the potential to harm communities, particularly youth.

The commission has also collaborated with the directorate general of the Narcotics Control Bureau and its senior officials to identify key routes and corridors for drug trafficking and ensure effective countermeasures are in place. Over the past few years, significant seizures have been made during elections to State Assemblies, including during the operation of MCC in states like Gujarat, Punjab, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Mizoram.

Identification of expenditure-sensitive constituencies: As many as 123 Parliamentary Constituencies are marked as Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies for more focussed vigil. These constituencies had either had a history of distribution of inducements in previous elections or had inter-state and international borders with potential inflow of drugs, cash, and liquor.

Deployment of expenditure observers: Senior officers appointed as expenditure observers serve as the eyes and ears of the commission for fair and inducement-free elections.

A total of 656 EOs have been assigned to Parliamentary Constituencies, while 125 are deployed in Assembly Constituencies across Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Sikkim. Special EOs with a brilliant track record of domain expertise and experience with election processes have also been deployed in States/UTs.

3,262 complaints through cVigil: The cVigil app of the commission has also reinforced the expenditure monitoring process through complaints directly from citizens on the distribution of any type of inducements. Since the announcement of the election schedule, a total of 3,262 complaints have been received about the distribution of cash, liquor and freebies.

No harassment policy: At the beginning of the current elections, there were reports in the media about tourists undergoing unnecessary checks and hassles by ground-level teams. Taking this matter seriously, the commission promptly issued an advisory to all CEOs regarding the need for a careful and courteous approach when inspecting tourists and citizens.

Additionally, the commission directed the constituted district grievance committees (DGCs) to hold daily hearings at designated locations for the swift resolution of grievances related to seizures. CEOs and DEOs were instructed to ensure the effective functioning of these committees.

The seizures have been possible by comprehensive planning, scaled-up collaboration and unified deterrence action from agencies, proactive citizen participation and optimal engagement of technology, said ECI in a statement.