Patna: Enforcement agencies have seized cash, drugs, liquor, and various freebies worth ₹33.97 crore in poll-bound Bihar, as part of a crackdown on attempts to unduly influence voters ahead of the upcoming state elections.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed on Wednesday that the seizures were made following the announcement of the election schedule on October 6. Bihar is set to go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.

In a statement, the Commission confirmed that multiple enforcement bodies have been working together to track and intercept illicit movement of goods and money, which could be used to sway voters through inducements.

The Election Commission stated on Wednesday that since the announcement of the polls on 6 October, enforcement agencies have collectively seized cash, liquor, drugs, and freebies worth ₹33.97 crore.

To ensure strict compliance with electoral expenditure limits, Expenditure Observers have been deployed across all constituencies. These observers, who arrived on the day notifications for each phase were issued, are tasked with overseeing candidate spending and ensuring transparency.

The Election Commission added that various monitoring units — including flying squads, static surveillance teams, and video surveillance teams — have been operating around the clock to detect and prevent any abuse of money power during the campaign period.

A tech-based system — the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) — has also been activated to provide real-time reporting of seizures made by field units and enforcement agencies.

While the ECI has urged strict enforcement of its directives, it has also instructed officials to ensure that ordinary citizens are not inconvenienced during vehicle checks or inspections.

The electoral body reiterated its commitment to free, fair, and inducement-free elections in the state.

PTI