Election Commission’s hunter runs in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, know where more cash and liquor were seized

New Delhi: A big impact of the strictness of the Election Commission has been seen before the assembly elections and by-elections being held in different states and union territories of the country. According to the Commission, till now cash, liquor, drugs and other goods worth more than Rs 1000 crore have been seized in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The EC said that general elections to the assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and by-elections at some places were announced on March 15, 2026.

Instructions to strictly follow the code of conduct

The Election Commission said that along with this, all the states and union territories were instructed to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct. The Commission also informed that several review meetings were held with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers, Director Generals of Police and other senior officials to ensure that the elections were peaceful and fair. Besides, the heads of the enforcement agencies were also instructed to ensure that no situation of violence, fear or greed is allowed to arise in the elections.

Election Commission released shocking figures

The Commission said that in this direction, a total of 5,011 Flying Squad Teams (FST) have been deployed in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, out of which 2,728 teams are working in West Bengal and 2,283 teams are working in Tamil Nadu. The job of these teams is to take action within 100 minutes of receiving the complaint. Apart from this, 5,363 Static Surveillance Teams (SST) have also been deployed, which are conducting surprise checks at different places. The Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) has been implemented from 26 February 2026. According to the data till 22 April:

1. West Bengal has seized Rs 472.89 crore, which includes Rs 27.48 crore in cash, 39,31,463 liters of liquor (worth Rs 102.45 crore), drugs worth Rs 108.11 crore, precious metals worth Rs 55.88 crore and freebies/other goods worth Rs 178.83 crore.
2. A total of Rs 599.24 crore has been seized in Tamil Nadu, which includes Rs 100.19 crore in cash, 1,17,713 liters of liquor (worth Rs 3.85 crore), drugs worth Rs 76.72 crore, precious metals worth Rs 159.31 crore and freebies/other goods worth Rs 259.14 crore.

The total seizure from both the states together has reached Rs 1072.13 crore, which includes Rs 127.67 crore in cash, 40,49,176 liters of liquor (worth Rs 106.3 crore), drugs worth Rs 184.83 crore, precious metals worth Rs 215.19 crore and other goods worth Rs 437.97 crore. If seen this way, more liquor is seized in West Bengal and more cash is seized in Tamil Nadu.

‘Common people should not face any problems’

The Election Commission has also made it clear that the common people should not face any kind of trouble or harassment during the investigation and action. For this, grievance redressal committees have been formed in every district, where people can register their complaints. Apart from this, citizens and political parties can also complain about violations of the Model Code of Conduct through the C-Vigil module (ECINET). The Election Commission says that it is trying its best to conduct the elections in a completely fair, peaceful and transparent manner.