Illegal handouts surge in West Bengal elections:Police seize booze, drugs ₹30 crore cash possibly meant for voters

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released a significant update regarding the recently concluded 2026 state elections. In a recent press note, the commission revealed that authorities have seized illegal products worth over ₹510 crore in West Bengal. This figure represents a massive increase in election-related recoveries. To put this into perspective, during the 2021 General Elections, the total seizures in West Bengal amounted to ₹339 crore. This year’s crackdown has totally surpassed that total by a wide margin. of 50%. Breakdown of the Seized Assets According to the latest data recorded between 26 February and 27 April, 2026, the ECI’s Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) tracked a variety of illegal items intended to influence voters: Cash: Authorities recovered ₹30 crore cash Liquor: Over 48.46 lakh liters of alcohol were confiscated, valued at approximately ₹126.85 crore. Drugs: Narcotics worth ₹110.12 crore were seized during the operations. Precious Metals: Gold and other valuable metals worth ₹58.28 crore were taken into custody. Freebies: Other items and freebies used to induce voters accounted for the highest value at ₹184.85 crore. Enforcement and Strategy The ECI has emphasized its commitment to a violence-free and inducement-free election. To achieve this, several layers of surveillance were activated across the polling states, which included West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu: Flying Squad Teams (FSTs): More than 2,728 squads were active, designed to respond to complaints within 100 minutes. Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs): Over 3,142 teams were set up surprise checkpoints (Nakas) to monitor the movement of illegal goods. Special Drives: Targeted operations were made to stop the manufacture and storage of illicit liquor. The commission had held multiple high-level reviews with Chief Secretaries and enforcement agencies to ensure the Model Code of Conduct was strictly followed.