ECI data on poll seizures: Among 5 states, no cash seized in Mizoram but max amount of drugs caught

There was no seizure of cash in Mizoram this year, while liquor worth Rs 4.67 crore was seized. The highest seizure was made in terms of drugs, which was worth

How clean was the recent assembly election in Mizoram? As per data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Mizoram has topped the list with just Rs 49.6 crore cash seized, the least among the 5 states – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, which went to elections this month.
The total seizures including cash, liquor, freebies, precious metals and drugs were to the tune of a whopping Rs 1,760 crore from all the 5 states.
As per the ECI data, there was no seizure of cash in Mizoram this year, but liquor worth Rs 4.67 crore was seized. Freebies worth Rs 15.16 crore were seized and drugs worth Rs 29.82 crore was caught ahead of the single phase polling held on November 7 for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly.
This year, in the run upto the assembly election, the civil society in Mizoram including different pressure groups had come together to ensure that the entire election process remains transparent – totally free from use of money power.
With this novel idea in mind, the Mizoram People Forum, an apex body of different organisations in the state signed an agreement with 5 leading political parties of the state — the MNF, Congress, People’s Conference, BJP and ZPM for holding free and fair elections.
Champhai district in the state seems to have turned into a favourite transit route for the international drugs smuggling cartels. Frequent seizures have been made in Zokhawthar, a border town in the district along the India-Myanmar border.
The ECI data shows that Telangana topped the chart for highest seizures with a total of Rs 659.2 crore, followed by Rajasthan with 650.7 crore. Seizures worth Rs 323.7 crore were made in Madhya Pradesh, while items worth Rs 76.9 crore were seized in Chattisgarh.
Significantly, the seizure made this year in the 5 states is 7 times more than the Rs 239.15 crore worth seizures made in 2018. In terms of percentage it is 636% higher than the seizures made in 2018.
In 2018 during the previous election, the poll panel had seized Rs 135.56 crore (till November 5) in cash and other material from different poll-bound states. The highest collection was from Telangana, Rs 61.08 crore and the lowest was from Mizoram, Rs 4.10 crore.

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