The Election Commission has seized unaccounted cash of Rs1.80 core and liquor worth Rs35 lakh during the electioneering in the State so far, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mona Sharma revealed here on Tuesday.
Excise officials have conducted raids at 5,600 places and registered 2,045 cases against the offenders, she said. The commission has issued helpline numbers for the people to inform it about any illegal use of money in the elections and liquor distribution by the candidates, the CEO said.
“The Election Commission is taking every step to ensure smooth conduct of the elections. We have maintained zero tolerance on use of illegal money and liquor to influence voters. Our teams are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil on movement of vehicles on all major national and State Highways and conducting raids after getting information from various sources,” said Sharma.
The commission has also received 573 cases of violation of the model code of conduct. While 62 cases have been registered against political parties, 51 have been registered against candidates and 279 have come in the form of public petitions. The EC has forwarded 55 cases to the CEO while it has registered 126 cases after taking cognizance from newspaper clippings.