It’s raining cash in poll-bound states

The election commission (EC), through its various teams and the income-tax department, has seized Rs42.75 crore in cash and kind till Tuesday in the states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam, where elections are due.

In Tamil Nadu, the seizure amount is Rs28.39 crore in cash and Rs5.42 crore in non-cash. In West Bengal, the seizure amount is Rs4.98 crore in cash, and in Assam, Rs.3.96 crore.

Mamata Banerjee may have washed her hands-off with her party MP KD Singh a few days ago when he was caught with Rs57 lakhs in cash while travelling in a chartered aircraft to Assam.
But the matter exposed how easily cash is flowing despite preventive steps taken by the Election Commission, Income-Tax, and other agencies.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi has expressed concern about the cash flow. “The flow of money in Tamil Nadu during elections is a big challenge. Cash seizures are not enough,” he had said.

Amid fears that cash will be used to buy votes, the EC has mounted a strict vigil. The income-tax department has formed around 70 teams to monitor the movement of cash. The EC had formed flying squads for carrying out searches on vehicles and on premises in a bid to prevent the use of money power in the polls.