The Election Commission (ECI) had announced the dates of general elections and by-elections to the assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on 15 March 2026. Before that, Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) was announced on February 26, 2026. Now the Election Commission has informed about the seizure of more than one thousand crore rupees in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal between the 2026 assembly elections and by-elections.

The ECI said that since the activation of the Election Seizure Management System, more than Rs 472 crore has been seized in West Bengal, which includes cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and other distributable items, while more than Rs 599 crore has been seized in Tamil Nadu.

General Elections and bye-elections 2026: Seizures surpass Rs 1,000 crores in TN and WB

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— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 22, 2026

EC had taken special steps for fair elections in both the states.

The commission said that to ensure free and fair elections, 5011 (2728 in WB and 2283 in TN) Flying Squad Teams (FST) were deployed in both the states, so that complaints could be processed within 100 minutes. Apart from this, more than 5363 (3,142 in WB and 2221 in TN) Static Surveillance Teams (SST) were also deployed to set up surprise checkpoints at different places.

The commission had also directed the officials to ensure free, fair and without any greed while protecting the public from trouble. District Grievance Committees have also been formed to resolve complaints related to enforcement activities.

C-Vigil module was released for citizens' complaints

ECI has also appealed to citizens and political parties to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct through the C-Vigil module on the ECINET platform. Complaint committees have been formed at the district level to resolve complaints. The poll body said that these steps are part of a larger effort to maintain transparency and honesty in the electoral process. Let us tell you, votes will be cast for the assembly elections in these two states on 23 April.

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