The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday (May 7, 2026) said that it had seized over ₹1,400 crore worth of illicit inducements during the recently concluded Assembly polls in four States and one Union Territory.

The figures represent a 40.14% increase in seizures as compared to 2021 elections in these States/UT when the seizures had amounted to ₹1030 crore, the poll body said in a statement.

Election LIVE updates - May 7, 2026

West Bengal saw the highest increase in the seizures at 68.92%, and in Tamil Nadu this increased by 48.4% compared to the corresponding figures during the 2021 polls.

The Commission said it had taken several measures to ensure strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct during the polls in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, and during byelections in seven Assembly constituencies of five States.

During the elections, the poll body held multiple review meetings with the Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers, Director Generals of Police, and senior officers from the poll-going States/UT and their bordering States/UTs along with the heads of enforcement agencies.

A total of 376 expenditure observers drawn from IRS (IT), IRS (C&IT), IA&AS, IRAS, IDAS, IP&TAFS and ICAS, 7,470 flying squad teams and 7,470 static surveillance teams were deployed to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections.

The seizures were facilitated by the IT platform Election Seizure Management System, which enhanced inter-agency coordination and streamlined communication between them for sharing actionable input, the poll body said.