In a record seizure of cash, liquor, narcotics and jewellery in the run-up to the Assembly election in Assam, various agencies have confiscated items worth Rs 87.96 crore since election dates were announced on February 26, Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade said on Thursday.
Unaccounted cash valued at Rs 21.18 crore and 13.24 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 24.53 crore have been seized so far, Khade said at a press conference here.
Enforcement and regulatory authorities have also confiscated precious metals worth Rs 2.82 crore, drugs with a market value of Rs 31.99 crore and freebies such as cigarettes and black pepper amounting to Rs 7.42 crore.
Security forces have so far seized 43 arms and 676 rounds of ammunition while 5,402 arms were deposited by the public on their own while action has been taken against 2,375 intimidators, the CEO said.
There have been 1,014 complaints of Model Code of Conduct violation and 700 of them were found to be correct, were examined and disposed of.
Khade said that all arrangements have been completed for the first phase of the election on March 27 when 47 constituencies will go to polls. Altogether 8,109,815 people — 4,077,210 men, 4,032,481 women, 124 of the third gender and nine overseas voters are entitled to cast their votes in the first phase in which 264 candidates, including 23 women, are contesting. In the first phase, Jonai (ST) constituency has the highest number of voters at 3,11,660 while Thowra has 1,15,364 voters, the lowest.
There will be 11,537 polling stations in the first phase, the CEO said.
Elections to the 126-member Assam legislative assembly will be held in three phases on March 27, April one and April six. PTI
