Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced the schedule for the General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections on March 15,2026. Ahead of that, the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, 2026.
Now Election Commission has reported seizures exceeding one thousand crore rupees in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal amid 2026 Assembly elections and bye-elections. ECI said that since the activation of the Election Seizure Management System, West Bengal recorded seizures worth over 472 crore rupees, including cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and other freebies, while Tamil Nadu reported seizures of over 599 crore rupees.
General Elections and bye-elections 2026: Seizures surpass Rs 1,000 crores in TN and WB
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 22, 2026
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The Commission said that to ensure free and fair elections, 5,011 (2,728 in WB and 2,283 in TN) Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) were deployed across the two States to ensure that the complaints are attended to within 100 minutes. Besides this, over 5,363 (3,142 in WB and 2,221 in TN) Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) were also deployed for setting up surprise Nakas at different locations.
The Commission had also directed authorities to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free elections while avoiding inconvenience to the public. District Grievance Committees were also set up to address complaints related to enforcement activities.
