EC seizes over Rs 650 crore in voter inducements

Election Commission teams have seized potential voter inducements worth over Rs 650 crore so far across five poll-bound states and union territories, with West Bengal alone accounting for nearly half, according to Bharti Jain's Times of India report.

Since the launch of the electronic seizure management system (ESMS) on February 26, 2026, flying squads and static surveillance units have reported cumulative seizures of Rs 319 crore in West Bengal, Rs 170 crore in Tamil Nadu, Rs 97 crore in Assam, Rs 58 crore in Kerala, and Rs 7 crore in Puducherry.

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By category, freebies led in terms of value at Rs 231 crore, followed closely by drugs (Rs 230 crore), liquor (Rs 79.3 crore), precious metals (Rs 58 crore), and cash (Rs 53.2 crore).

For comparison, during the 2021 assembly elections, total seizures by April 16 had crossed Rs 1,000 crore, with Tamil Nadu at the top (Rs 446.3 crore), followed by West Bengal (Rs 300 crore), Assam (Rs 122 crore), Kerala (Rs 85 crore), and Puducherry (Rs 37 crore).

(With TOI inputs)