Lok Sabha election: Punjab polls dollar rich, pound heavy

CHANDIGARH: It was not just on social media that the wealthy Punjabi diaspora was rooting for candidates in this year's Lok Sabha election. Punjab has earned the dubious distinction of topping the list of states from where the Election Commission seized maximum foreign currency during campaigning.

According to the latest figures, the commission seized 1.68 lakh pounds (Rs1.68 crore) and $18,350 (Rs 11 lakh) in the state between March 6 and April 30 when the polls took place. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat came next.

8kg of imported gold and 528 gold articles worth Rs 12.5 crore and 58 kg of silver worth Rs 24 lakh were also recovered by officials in Punjab till polling day.

Imported electronic goods like Taiwanese mobile phones, computers and walkie-talkie sets were also recovered in huge number from the vehicles plying in Punjab during polls.

Among Punjab's districts, the Election Commission's flying squads and static surveillance collected most of the foreign currency from NRI-rich cities of Jalandhar and Moga and Ludhiana.

With the Punjabi diaspora having a sizeable population across the world, 1,590 NRIs had come from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France to the state. However, only 169 of them had registered with the chief electoral office of Punjab to vote.

Apart from regular Akali Dal and Congress followers, many of those who came for voting had pledged open support and run social media campaigns for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Sangrur and Ludhiana.

Punjab had already topped the list of drug seizures with 1.39 lakh kg having been recovered from the state.