Drugs ensured it was a 'high' poll season

Pressure cookers, mixer grinders and utensils are passe. A growing number of youths in electoral rolls pushed political parties to come up with allurements for the young blood even if they were no different from poison.

Drugs have topped the seizure list of the Election Commission during this poll season, touching Rs 1,269 crore, way above the usual vote-swaying factors like cash and alcohol, also painting a grim picture of the menace of substance abuse in the society.

At Rs 524 crore, Gujarat reported maximum seizure of contrabands, followed by narcotics worth Rs 374 in Delhi and Rs 218 crore in Punjab. A smaller state like Manipur saw drug recoveries worth Rs 31 crore, said the EC.

The overall drug haul during the last Lok Sabha elections was about Rs 800 crore.

Alcohol, gold, silver and cash were mostly split in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, while maximum booze was seized in Karnataka (Rs 37 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs 31 crore).

Political parties in Tamil Nadu went for gold and silver. Flying squads of the EC recovered precious metals worth Rs 709 crore in the state, nearly 10 times the haul in UP and Maharashtra.

In overall figures, the value of countrywide seizures as on May 18 was Rs 3,447.74 crore, with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh emerging in first, second and third positions respectively.

Gujarat On Top

• At Rs 524 cr, Gujarat reported maximum seizure of drugs
• This was followed by  Delhi (Rs 374 cr) and Punjab (Rs 218 cr)