EC tightens vigil as poll seizures cross Rs 400 crore ahead of Assembly elections

Seizures of illicit inducements have crossed Rs 400 crore in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six other states beginning March 24, 2026, the Election Commission of India said in a press note on Thursday.

Announcing the poll schedule on March 15, the Commission directed all state and Union Territory governments to strictly enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). “We have reviewed readiness with Chief Secretaries, CEOs, DGPs, and heads of enforcement agencies from the poll-bound and neighbouring states to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free elections,” the ECI said in the press note.

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As part of intensified surveillance, more than 5,173 Flying Squads and over 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams have been deployed to ensure swift action on violations and conduct surprise checks. The Commission noted that since the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) was activated on February 26, authorities have seized Rs 17.44 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 37.68 crore (16.3 lakh litres), drugs valued at Rs 167.38 crore, precious metals worth Rs 23 crore, and other inducements exceeding Rs 163.30 crore.

The ECI stressed that enforcement efforts must not inconvenience or harass ordinary citizens, adding that District Grievance Committees have been set up to handle complaints. It also encouraged citizens and political parties to report violations through the cVIGIL module on ECINET.

Between March 15 and March 25, a total of 70,944 complaints were lodged via the cVIGIL app, of which 70,831 have already been resolved. Notably, 67,899 complaints—accounting for 95.8%—were addressed within 100 minutes, reflecting the Commission’s emphasis on rapid response. A dedicated complaint redressal mechanism, including the helpline number 1950, has also been put in place to enable the public and political parties to report violations directly to the election authorities.