Maharashtra polls: ₹175 crore cash seized in state, EC asks for strict clampdown

The Election Commission urges Maharashtra to combat politically motivated crimes and curb bribery, with ₹175 crore seized ahead of elections

MUMBAI: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday expressed concern over politically motivated crimes in Maharashtra, and asked DGP Rashmi Shukla to ensure a clampdown on events that vitiated the electoral atmosphere and disturbed the level playing field such as the objectionable remarks made by a BJP politician against a Congress leader’s daughter, which led to violence in Sangamner. The EC has also asked for better vigilance, since ₹175 crore worth of cash and other inducements to bribe voters has been seized in the state so far.

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar. (PTI)

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar held a review meeting with senior officials of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the states where elections are due on November 20. Maharashtra chief secretary Sujata Saunik and DGP Rashmi Shukla were present as were officials of the border states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The CEC said that seizures in Maharashtra and Jharkhand so far had already surpassed those in the 2019 assembly elections by 2.3 times—the seizures back then were worth ₹122.67 crore. He also cautioned the administration and law-enforcement authorities in Jharkhand to be even-handed in their dealings with political functionaries and ensure that no authority was exercised in a mala fide manner.

The EC has issued strict instructions to step up efforts to curb the inflow of inducements such as cash, liquor, narcotics and precious metals to the poll-bound states ahead of the elections. So far, ₹345 crore worth of seizures have been made from the time the elections were announced—of these, over ₹114 crore were in Jharkhand, ₹175 crore in Maharashtra and the remaining seizures from the states where by-elections are also to be held, sources said.

The CEC underscored the importance of strict vigilance and intelligence to curb the movement of contraband items, including narcotics, arms and explosives across inter-state borders. He directed officials to identify and monitor exit and entry points for the movement of such illicit items, sources said. He also stressed that liquor must not flow from border states to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Sources said that employees of firms in border states who were voters in Maharashtra would get a day off on November 20 to vote in the state.