Cash, drugs, liquor and freebies worth over ₹290 crore have already been seized in Gujarat, the state which is going to the polls for 788 candidates on 89 seats in the first phase on Thursday. The seizure is more than 10 times what the state recovered throughout the entire 2017 assembly election, news agency PTI reported.
The total seizures in the 2017 Gujarat assembly election were ₹27.21 crore. As on November 29, total seizures stood at ₹290.24 crore - 10.66 times of seizures in 2017.
The Election Commission said the state's election process saw record seizures, as a result of its planning and observation by multiple law enforcement organizations.
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A group of officers from the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) Gujarat are leading a significant "ongoing seizure process of a heavy consignment of drugs" that is being conducted in Vadodara (Rural) and Vadodara City.
The squad discovered roughly 143 kg of mephedrone (a synthetic narcotic) worth about ₹478 crore and discovered two mephedrone drug manufacturing facilities.
Five people have been detained from Nadiad and Vadodara and a criminal case is being registered at ATS Police Station, Ahmedabad under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985. "The operation is in progress and complete details will be made available once the operation is completed," the poll panel said.
{{/usCountry}}Five people have been detained from Nadiad and Vadodara and a criminal case is being registered at ATS Police Station, Ahmedabad under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985. "The operation is in progress and complete details will be made available once the operation is completed," the poll panel said.
{{/usCountry}}Out of the 89 seats going to polls in the first phase, the BJP won 48 in the 2017 election, the Congress had won 40, while one seat was bagged by an independent candidate.
Voting will be held between 8am and 5pm on Thursday across 14,382 polling stations, while the second has been scheduled for December 5 (Monday). The counting of votes will be done on December 8.