Wed Nov 20 00:57:54 UTC 2024: ## Election Commission Seizes ₹1,082 Crore Worth of Illegal Items in Jharkhand and Maharashtra
**New Delhi, [Date of Publication]** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced today that it has seized assets worth over ₹1,082 crore during the ongoing assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, and various by-elections across other constituencies. This represents a seven-fold increase compared to the 2019 assembly elections in these two states.
The ECI reported that a combined ₹858 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs, and other illegal items were confiscated in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. In 2019, seizures in Maharashtra totaled ₹103.61 crore, while Jharkhand saw seizures worth ₹18.76 crore.
Significant seizures include ₹3.70 crore in cash from a jeep in Palghar district, Maharashtra; 4,500 kg of cannabis worth ₹4.51 crore in Buldhana district, Maharashtra; and silver pieces valued at ₹5.20 crore in Raigad district, Maharashtra.
The ECI’s crackdown on illegal activities highlights a significant effort to ensure fair and transparent elections in the two states. The substantial increase in seizures compared to the 2019 elections underscores the scale of the operation.
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