Amid the ongoing West Bengal assembly elections, cash and other items worth ₹248.9 crore has been seized till now in the state, said the additional chief electoral officer.
"Total seizure of cash and items worth ₹248.9 crores has been done till now. This includes ₹37.72 crores of cash, liquor worth ₹9.5 crores and drugs worth ₹114.44 crores, among others," Sanjoy Basu said on Monday.
The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79% voter turnout on Saturday.
In the first phase, 30 seats covering all assembly constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a segment of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur went to polls to decide on the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women.
Polling was "mostly peaceful", barring a few sporadic incidents of violence, an EC official said on Sunday.
At least 10 people were arrested for allegedly being involved in incidents of violence that occurred in various places during the first phase of polling.
According to Chief Electoral officer Aariz Aftab, seven of the ten people arrested were held from Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district, where CPI(M) candidate Susanta Ghosh was heckled and stones were hurled at his car allegedly by the ruling TMC supporters.
Later, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's younger brother Soumendu was attacked and his car was vandalised at Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district allegedly by TMC supporters.
The second phase of elections on 1 April will see polling in 30 assembly constituencies spread across four districts in Bankura, West Midnapore, East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas.
All eyes are expected to be on Nandigram, where TMC supremo and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will face her former close aid Suvendu Adhikari.
The remaining seven phases for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held on different dates with the final round of voting scheduled on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.
With inputs from agencies.
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