Drugs, cash, liquor seized in 28 days 256% higher than 2017 Punjab assembly polls

CHANDIGARH: Political parties in Punjab appear to be making desperate attempts to lure voters by cash handouts, drugs and bootleg liquor, if the quantum of seizures made ahead of the state assembly elections is an indicator.
Seizures made within 28 days after the model code of conduct came into force this year are manifold higher than drugs, liquor and cash confiscated during previous elections.

With polling day two weeks away, the gap will widen. Punjab, for the first time, is going to witness a multi-cornered contest with Congress, SAD-BSP alliance, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), and the alliance between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ex-CM Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s SAD (Sanyukt) vying for power.
Cash, drugs and liquor for long have been used to lure voters.
Enforcement teams have, so far, seized valuables worth Rs 319.29 crore, 256.19% higher than 2017 assembly elections and 11.48% more than 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As expected, drugs surpassed all other seized goods in value.
Psychotropic substances having a market value of Rs 279.17 crore were seized, while over 30 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 16.5 crore and unaccounted cash of Rs 21.38 crore, apparently meant to be distributed among voters, were recovered.
In comparison, narcotics amounting to Rs 18.26 crore were apprehended during the last assembly elections, over 15 times less than recoveries this time. Similarly, unaccounted cash of Rs 58.02 crore and liquor worth Rs 13.36 crore were seized in 2017.
In the 2019 elections, seizures worth 286.41 crore – Rs 32.92 crore cash, Rs 10.79 crore worth of liquor, Rs 219.82 crore worth of drugs, Rs 22.56 crore worth precious metals and Rs 32 lakh as freebies – were made.
Taking cognisance of incidents of “drugs for vote” in Punjab elections, Punjab and Haryana high court had last month directed the state election commission (SEC) to ensure drug-free polls.
Pathankot, Dera Baba Nanak, Majitha, Amritsar Central, Amritsar East, Chamkaur Sahib, Sahnewal, Ludhiana South, Atam Nagar, Gill, Lambi, Gidderbaha, Rampur Phul, Bathinda Urban, Maur, Sunam and Sanour have been identified as pockets vulnerable to illicit liquor, drugs and freebies.
Political analyst Prof Mohammed Khalid of Panjab University rued the situation was getting worse in Punjab and the number of recoveries made it evident.
He added politicians need to take lead by shunning malpractices of luring the voters by hook or crock. “By doing so, they are doing no good to society and the democratic electoral process," he said.