As Assembly elections approach near Delhi, the Election Commission of India has already confiscated cash and other goods such as liquor, gold, and silver, totaling over Rs 21.89 crore from various locations in the national capital within a week of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being implemented.
The Delhi chief electoral officer’s (CEO) office announced on Monday that the seized items comprised Rs 9.8 crore in cash, precious metals valued at Rs 6.1 crore, drugs totaling Rs 5.05 crore, freebies exceeding Rs 47 lakh, and liquor amounting to over Rs 45 lakh.
The election code was implemented on January 7, after the schedule for the election was announced. Voting for the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi is set for February 5, with the announcement of results on February 8.
Data from the Delhi CEO’s office indicates that Central Delhi led in cash recoveries, having seized Rs 4.17 crore. East Delhi followed closely with Rs 3.12 crore, whereas South East Delhi and North District both reported seizures surpassing Rs 1 crore each.
In terms of drugs, the largest seizure occurred in Southwest Delhi adjacent to Haryana, where illicit goods valued at around Rs 3 crore were confiscated. In total, East and Central Delhi logged the highest recoveries, with assets valued at Rs 6.8 crore confiscated.
Along with cash and drugs, the Election Commission teams seized 14,200 liters of illegal liquor. Officials reported that Southwest Delhi became the focal point, with 3,382 liters of alcohol confiscated.
