Chicago – November 03, 2025
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that enforcement agencies have seized illicit items worth more than ₹100 crore across Bihar and other Indian states gearing up for Assembly elections and byelections this month. The seizures included cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and assorted freebies, reflecting a heightened crackdown on attempts to influence voters through illegal inducements.
Bihar will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, while byelections in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Punjab, Telangana, and Rajasthan are scheduled for November 11. To strengthen vigilance, the ECI deployed 824 flying squads across Bihar, instructed to respond to complaints filed on the C-VIGIL app within 100 minutes.
Polls in Bihar are seen as a crucial political test for both the ruling NDA alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc, following months of shifting alliances and leadership changes. Key factors shaping the polls include debates around unemployment, rising prices, caste census outcomes, and the government’s handling of welfare schemes. Security and vigilance have been tightened, with the Election Commission deploying hundreds of teams to curb cash and liquor distribution during campaigning.
According to official figures released on November 3, enforcement teams confiscated ₹9.62 crore in cash, liquor valued at ₹42.14 crore, drugs worth ₹24.61 crore, precious metals estimated at ₹5.8 crore, and other gifts and items exceeding ₹26 crore. The coordinated action involved multiple enforcement agencies operating under ECI directives to ensure fair electoral conduct.
The Commission emphasised that while strict monitoring would continue, citizens should not face inconvenience or harassment during inspections. It urged the public and political parties to report any violations of the Model Code of Conduct through the C-VIGIL app or the voter helpline number 1950, which operates around the clock.
The large-scale seizures underline the ECI’s focus on curbing election-time malpractices and ensuring transparency, especially in states with intense political contests.
