Rs 95 crore worth of cash and freebies seized during elections

Election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have seized approximately Rs 95 crore worth of cash and other incentives, including liquor, intended to influence voters during the recently concluded elections to five Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territory.

Polling in Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Saturday, with the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency being the last to vote. Despite the record-breaking voter turnout in three constituencies in Kashmir, there were attempts by some candidates to sway voters using illicit means, election officials reported.

“From the date of the election announcement to the Lok Sabha, we have so far seized material and cash with a total value of Rs 94.797 crore,” said officials from the election department.

The police played a significant role in these efforts, accounting for the seizure of Rs 90.83 crore during the campaign. “Cash, liquor, drugs, and other freebies have been seized by various enforcement departments. Major department-wise seizures included Rs 90.831 crore by the police, Rs 42 lakh by the Income Tax department, Rs 1.01 crore by the excise department, and drugs worth Rs 2.32 crore by the Narcotics Control Bureau,” officials detailed.

To maintain a fair electoral process, authorities took action against over 40 government employees who allegedly violated the Model Code of Conduct. The election authorities received 143 grievances on the CVIGIL app, resolving over 80 of them, with the remaining cases under process.

To monitor election activities and ensure compliance with the Model Code of Conduct, command and control rooms were established at the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) offices in Jammu and Srinagar. “Similar mini-control rooms were also set up in every District Election Officer (DEO) office, operating round-the-clock. All electronic media channels and social media platforms were monitored, with any detected violations being reported, and notices issued by the concerned Returning Officer (RO) or Assistant Returning Officer (ARO),” officials stated.

In addition to monitoring for MCC violations, the control rooms provided live feeds from polling stations and GPS tracking of all vehicles used for poll parties, ensuring a transparent and regulated election process.