Election Commission to crack down on illicit items during upcoming Lok Sabha elections

Tribune News Service

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, March 6

During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had seized illicit items worth Rs 3,500 crore; now, the poll body has called a meeting of its central observers on March 11 to discuss ways to prevent the same in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, and simultaneous assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

During the previous Lok Sabha polls held in 2019, Punjab was among the top three states from where maximum illicit items were seized. Gujarat and Delhi were the top two states, followed by Punjab.

While Gujarat had recorded recovery of illicit items worth Rs 553 crore, Delhi was second with Rs 430 crore, followed by Punjab with Rs 286 crore.

All observers, who are scheduled to attend the meeting on March 11, are mostly IRS and customs officers, and they have been compulsorily asked to attend the deliberations. Disciplinary action might be taken against those who remain absent, sources aware of the developments said.

The meeting, which is to take place in hybrid mode, will be attended by central and state electoral officers, while close to 300 central observers are expected to attend it from across the country.

Chief among illicit items seized were cash Rs 840 crore, liquor worth Rs 300 crore, narcotics worth Rs 1,280 crore, precious metals worth Rs 990 crore and other items, including freebies, worth Rs 60 crore.

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