The high-stakes Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases (Representational)

New Delhi:

The enforcement authorities have seized over Rs 4,650 crore so far even before the first phase of Lok Sabha elections begins later this week, the Election Commission of India (EC) said today.

“The Election Commission is on track for the highest ever seizures of inducements recorded in the history of Lok Sabha elections,” a poll panel release said.

The poll panel said authorities are making seizures worth Rs 100 crore every day since March 1 in run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

“This marks a sharp increase over Rs 3475 crores seized during the entire Lok Sabha elections in 2019,” it said.

Drugs and freebies saw the highest increase in seizures so far compared to the 2019 general elections. The poll panel has seized drugs worth Rs 2,068.8 crore, while in 2019 drugs worth Rs 1,279.9 crore were seized.

The release said the seizures are a part of EC’s resolve to curb electoral malpractices and to ensure a level playing field ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The high-stakes Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases, with the first phase beginning April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

The states where polling will be held in the first phase are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.