Lok Sabha Polls 2014: Cash haul in Delhi falls from Rs 27 crore to Rs 45 lakh

NEW DELHI: Either politicians in Delhi have become really ingenious while distributing cash among voters or it has stopped yielding desired results. What else could explain seizure of a meagre Rs 45 lakh during the poll season in Delhi this year? Compare this with the assembly polls just a few months back when Rs 27 crore were seized in the city by various agencies in coordination with the Election Commission.

The figure is even more striking given that this election season a total of Rs 217 crore in cash have already been seized across the country, according to EC. This figure is more than double of what was seized in 2009 general elections, said sources.

Sources said the low amount of seizures in Delhi could not be explained by lax monitoring as this year EC had put robust poll expense monitoring mechanism in coordination with Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and CISF. Income Tax had even set up two control rooms-one at its headquarters and other at the airport-for reporting of cash movement. "Though seizures are not a measure of how much money may have been flowing, it is assumed that if large amount of cash is in distribution there would be proportionate hauls. And then it is reflected in other states such as Andhra Pradesh where cash seizure has been to the tune of Rs 118 core to date," said an IT official.

Notably, last Assembly elections in December in Delhi had seen Arvind Kejriwal asking voters to take cash and liquor from candidates of other parties but vote for AAP. The party went on to win 28 seats.

Professor at Centre for Study of Developing Societies Sanjay Kumar, however, says it is not easy to explain why the seizure has been less in Delhi. "There is also a certainty about these elections compared to the assembly polls. Those candidates who know they are going to lose tend to spend less money. There is no point losing both the election and the money. Also, assembly elections had a multiplicity of candidates," he said.