Overall seizure of cash, gold and silver besides liquor and drugs doubled this election in Madhya Pradesh. This indicates that demonetization exercise failed to check use of black money in elections, feels experts. According to the figures provided by the Election Commission, the overall seizure during this assembly election stood at around Rs 60 crores compared with the seizure during 2013 assembly elections that was a little more than Rs 27 crore.
The seizure being doubled has raised questions over process of demonetization that had claimed that ‘black money’ has vanished from the market. “The process of demonetization that was explained to the nation meant that after this the money market had been cleansed and black money finished. Yet huge seizures by the government during election process raises questions over the overall process,” said professor of economics, Vandana Chawla.
Elections are a pure political process with politicians participating in it; this also demonstrates that politicians still have access to black money, said Rolly Shivhare of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). “We demand from concerned authorities to trace back the root of the money seized from the people. Income tax department is qualified enough for this task and it should do it in a particular time limit,” added Shivhare.
According to CEO VL Kantha Rao, unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 22 crore was seized during election. Illegal gold and silver worth Rs 10 crore was also seized. The most worrying part is use of l liquor and drugs in elections. Illicit liquor worth Rs 10 crore was seized this election whereas in 2013 assembly election, liquor seized was worth Rs 5.6 crores only.
Besides liquor, a new worrying trend that was observed this assembly election was excessive use of drugs. Drugs worth Rs 10 crores were caught by various law enforcing agencies this election. Drug worth Rs 30.80 lakhs were seized during previous assembly election. The figure that didn’t reach even a crore crossed Rs 10 crores this election. “This is really very worrying. Till now netas used to distribute liquor to lure voters but now even drugs are used, God save our nation,” said Prashant Dubey, activist who works against drug abuse.
Rs 8 crore were caught and put under miscellaneous category that includes cigarette, gutkha and other petty little things meant for the workers. It also needs to be mentioned that around Rs 400 crore were caught in Jabalpur that was said to be of a hawala trader. Social activists raised concern over seizure of huge amount from hawala operator during election time. Obviously this money was to be used in elections, said an activist.