Booze and Cash to Woo Voters? EC Seizes 300 Crore, Over 1 Lakh Litres Alcohol

BANGALORE: As ongoing Lok Sabha polls reach the sixth phase, the Election Commission has already seized 300 crore, 1.33 lakh litres of alcohol and 30,000 kg of narcotics used as a means to woo the voters. All this despite the fact that the EC has already held various dialogue sessions with voters as part of its drive to crack down on black money instances in "expenditure- sensitive" pockets, said the study, conducted by think-tank CMS.

There have already been many cases where the EC has confiscated bundles of cash and other items across the country and it is keeping a close tab on any possible use of unaccounted cash and other incentives to lure voters during elections, which have traditionally been very expensive affairs in India.

Within the country, the largest amount of narcotics has been seized from states like Himachal Pradesh followed by Rajasthan and regarding seizure of both cash and booze, Andhra Pradesh tops the list, as per the study by the electoral watchdog's latest report for 28 states and seven union territories, as of April 17.

The poll official cited, "There are orders given to intercept money and liquor which can only be linked to a contesting candidate and political party. There are instructions not to search and intercept anyone at will and they are more careful when dealing with women," reports TOI.

The study comes at a time when various political parties are accusing each other of using alleged black money in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, which began on April 7 and will continue till May 12. So far, voting has taken place in 232 Lok Sabha seats across five phases, while a further 311 constituencies will go to polls in the remaining four phases.

(With Agency Input)

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