**Executive Summary**
The Election Commission of India (ECI) reports that seizures have surpassed Rs. 650 crores as of April 5, 2026, following the March 15 announcement of General Elections and bye-elections in multiple states. To ensure inducement-free polling, the Commission has deployed over 10,000 monitoring teams and activated the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS). State governments are directed to ensure strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct while preventing the harassment of ordinary citizens during inspections.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Enforcement Infrastructure**
* Deployment of 5,173 Flying squads to ensure complaints are attended to within a 100-minute timeframe.
* Operation of over 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) for surprise Nakas (checkpoints) at various locations.
* Utilization of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS), active since February 26, 2026, for real-time data tracking.
**Seizure Statistics (as of April 5, 2026)**
* Total seizures across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry reached Rs. 651.5 crores.
* The highest value seized is attributed to Freebies (Rs. 231.01 crores) and Drugs (Rs. 230 crores).
* West Bengal recorded the highest total seizure value at Rs. 319 crores, followed by Tamil Nadu at Rs. 170 crores.
* Liquor seizures totaled 29,63,689 litres with a value of Rs. 79.3 crores.
**Regulatory Directives and Grievances**
* Mandatory compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for all poll-going states and their bordering territories.
* Establishment of District Grievance Committees to address complaints regarding citizen harassment during enforcement activities.
* Provision of the C-Vigil Module on ECINET for reporting MCC violations.
**Impact Analysis**
**State/UT Governments and Enforcement Agencies**
**Impact**
They are tasked with maintaining violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free elections under the direct supervision of the ECI.
**Action Required**
Must ensure strict MCC compliance, deploy Flying squads and SSTs, and ensure enforcement does not harass ordinary citizens.
**Citizens and Political Parties**
**Impact**
They are subjected to increased surveillance and inspections but are provided with mechanisms to report irregularities.
**Action Required**
Report MCC violations via the C-Vigil Module on ECINET; citizens may approach District Grievance Committees if inconvenienced by inspections.
**District Grievance Committees**
**Impact**
These bodies are designated as the primary point of redressal for public concerns during the election period.
**Action Required**
Address and resolve grievances arising from the checking and inspection activities conducted by enforcement authorities.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission of India (ECI): The primary regulatory body responsible for conducting and overseeing the 2026 General Elections and enforcing compliance.
Model Code of Conduct (MCC): The set of guidelines issued to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates, the violation of which is monitored during the election period.
Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS): A digital initiative activated to track and report real-time data on seizures of cash, liquor, drugs, and other inducements.
C-Vigil Module: An online platform on ECINET used by citizens and political parties to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal: The specific poll-going states and Union Territory where the 2026 General Elections and the reported seizures are concentrated.
Election Commission
General Elections and bye-elections 2026:
Seizures surpass Rs. 650 crores
Posted On: 05 APR 2026 2:53PM by PIB Delhi
1. Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the General Election to Legislative
Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in 6
states on March 15,2026. The Commission has directed the State/UT governments to ensure strict
compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
2. It may be recalled that the Commission has held multiple review meetings with the Chief
Secretaries, CEOs, DGPs, and senior officers from the 5 poll-going states/UTs and their 12
bordering states/UTs along with the Heads of Enforcement Agencies and directed them to ensure
violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement- free elections.
3. To ensure this, over 5,173 Flying squads have been deployed across the States/UT to ensure that
the complaints are attended to within 100 minutes. Besides this, over 5,200 Static Surveillance
Teams (SSTs) have also been deployed for setting up surprise Nakas at different locations.
4. Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on 26th February 2026,
the data up to 5th April 2026 is presented below.
Cash Liquor Drugs Precious Freebies To
S. State (Rs. Liquor Value Value Metal (R
/Other
N Qty (Rs. (Rs. Value
Crore) Value Cror
(Rs.
(Litres)
Crore) Crore) (Rs.
Crore)
Crore)
1. West 11 21,29,103 55 65 39 150 319
Bengal
2. Tamil 30 74,029 2 67 8 63 170
Nadu
3. Assam 4 6,84,627 20 56 4 13 97
4. Kerala 8 64,862 2 41 1 5 58
5. Puducherry 0.2 11,068 0.3 0 6 0.01 7
TOTAL 53.2 29,63,689 79.3 230 58 231.01 651.55. The Commission has also stressed that the enforcement authorities should ensure that ordinary
citizens are not inconvenienced or harassed during the checking and inspection for the
enforcement of these directives. District Grievance Committees have also been setup to address any
grievances in this regard.
6. Citizens/political parties can report MCC violations using the C-Vigil Module on
ECINET.
****
PK/GDH/RP
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