With the polling in the three north-eastern states completed, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday said that 3,57,340 litres of liquor worth Rs 10.91 crore has been seized from Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. Further, drugs worth Rs 92.94 crore have also been seized, data up to Saturday shows.
In a statement, ECI’s Joint Director (Media) Anuj Chandak said that in Tripura, 1.56 lakh litres worth Rs 3.2 crore was seized. In Nagaland, 80,833 litres of liquor worth Rs 5.09 crore, and in Meghalaya 1.20 lakh litres of liquor costing Rs 2.62 crore has been seized. Further, drugs worth Rs 33.25 crore have been seized from Meghalaya. In Nagaland (Rs 32.87 crore) and Tripura (Rs 26.82 crore) also drugs have been seized in huge quantities.
Overall, the poll seizure in Meghalaya and Nagaland has increased by at least 23%, according to the ECI data.
“The Election Commission’s thrust on inducement-free elections led to sustained efforts for election expenditure monitoring. Due to the coordinated efforts of enforcement agencies in Meghalaya and Nagaland, both state and central, extensive monitoring, marking of 34 expenditure sensitive constituencies in Meghalaya and 42 in Nagaland; adequate deployment of field teams, both the states witnessed record seizures this time, which has far surpassed the seizures made in the entire duration of the enforcement of MCC in the Assembly Elections 2018,” the ECI said.
Also, for the first time, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had set up a camp office in Kohima. There have been some big operations in Meghalaya and Nagaland by DRI where they have seized heroin worth Rs 17.13 crore in East Khasi Hills and Rs 15.91 crore in Chumukedima District in Nagaland.
“The total seizures as on February 27 in the three states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura amount to Rs 169.64 crore. In the bye- elections held in the states, seizures worth Rs 2.92 crore were done,” it added.
59 OF 60 ASSEMBLIES WENT TO POLLS IN MEGHALAYA AND NAGALAND
Polling for the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya and Nagaland was held on Monday across 59 of the total 60 seats. In Meghalaya, polling in Sohiong was adjourned due to the death of one of the contesting candidates, while in Nagaland’s Akuluto only one candidate filed his nomination, so no election was required.
“Polling across 3,419 polling stations in Meghalaya and 2,291 in Nagaland went off peacefully on Monday. Advance planning and extensive monitoring by the Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel ensured smooth conduct of elections in the two states with no repoll reported in any of the 5,710 polling stations,” the statement added.
Polling for the Tripura Legislative Assembly was held on February 16 in a largely violence-free and peaceful manner. The counting of votes in the three states will be done on March 2.
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