New Delhi: Election Commission’s flying squads and security agencies have so far seized cash, liquor and other freebies worth Rs 510.10 crore in West Bengal, where the second and final phase of voting for Assembly elections is scheduled April 29, an official said Monday.
The seizure of freebies and other inducement articles till Monday in the state has already surpassed the Rs 339 crore mark of such inducement items recovered by the election department and security agencies during the 2021 Assembly elections, said an official statement.
Since the announcement of elections on March 15, including the first phase of voting that took place in West Bengal April 23, the ECI seizures include Rs 30 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 126.85 crore, drugs valued at Rs 110.12 crore, precious metal worth Rs 58.28 crore and other freebies worth Rs 184.85 crore.
To ensure inducement-free elections, over 2,728 Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) have been deployed across the State to ensure that the inducement-related complaints are attended to within 100 minutes, said the statement.
Besides the flying squads, over 3,142 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have also been deployed to set up surprise pickets at different locations.
Special drives are being conducted against the manufacture, storage and distribution of illicit liquor, said the statement.
The ECI activated the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) February 26 to ensure inducement-free polling and strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Ahead of voting in 142 Assembly constituencies April 29, the ECI Monday decided to further strengthen the surveillance mechanism by bringing the approach roads to critical or hypersensitive polling stations under CCTV coverage.
“In the first phase of polls, there were two CCTVs within the polling station premises, one within the polling room and the other just outside the polling room, to ensure elimination of electoral malpractices within the polling station premises. But there were some reports of voter intimidation outside polling stations during the first phase of the polls. So, this time, the ECI has decided to install CCTV outside the polling stations as well to keep the different approach roads to the polling stations under strict surveillance,” an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.
The number of CCTV installations to monitor activities at the approach roads will depend on the sensitivity of the polling stations concerned, he said.
The results for the West Bengal Assembly elections on 294 seats will be declared May 4.