Ahead of the legislative assembly elections in Rajasthan, enforcement agencies are taking strong action on the directions of the Election Commission. Illegal cash, alcohol, drugs, gold, and silver are being confiscated in various places. This year, a total of Rs 1021 crore worth of illegal goods and cash have been recovered, compared to Rs 347 crore in 2022, while in 2021, only Rs 322 crore were seized. This raises questions about how money is being used in the elections. Another question is whether enforcement agencies were not acting properly on ordinary days, as the figures of the past years indicate.
Under the guidelines of the Election Commission, the police, excise, income tax, customs departments, and other agencies are closely monitoring the assembly elections in the state. As a result, a new record has been set in the seizure of illegal cash, alcohol, drugs, gold, and silver. Due to the coordination and determination of the Election Department, this figure has crossed Rs 1000 crores. This has put a check on the leaders who contest elections based on money.
The Election Department has been in contact since June:
Chief Election Officer Praveen Gupta stated that since last June, the Election Department has been working directly in coordination with all enforcement agencies. Since then, Rs 648 crore in cash and other items have been seized. From 9 October to the present date, within 15 days, Rs 244 crore in cash and other items have been seized.
10.60 lakh litres of illegal alcohol seized:
Since the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct on 9 October, the police, income tax department, and other agencies have confiscated 39 crores of 30 lakh rupees in cash. Similarly, the excise department, police, GST department, and the RPF seized 10,60,855 litres of illegal alcohol worth 20 crores 12 lakh rupees. Narcotics Control Bureau, police, and other agencies have seized drugs and narcotics worth 46 crores 76 lakh rupees. Police, income tax, customs, GST, and RPF have seized gold, silver and other valuable metals worth 30 crore 40 lakh rupees. In addition, various agencies have confiscated freebies and other items worth 84 crores 22 lakh rupees.