Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on the 26th of February, till 25th March, 2026, over Rs. 408.82 crores worth of illicit inducements including, Rs 17.44 crores in cash, liquor worth Rs. 37.68 crores
- Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in 6 states on March 15,2026. The Commission has directed the State/UT governments to ensure strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
- The Commission held a review meeting with the Chief Secretaries, CEOs, and DGPs. Senior officers from the 5 poll-going states/UTs and their 12 bordering states/UTs also attended. They were joined by the Heads of Enforcement Agencies. The purpose was to review readiness, enhance coordination, and ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections on 24th March, 2026. It may be recalled that this meeting took place to promote a smooth electoral process.
- To ensure this, over 5,173 Flying squads have been deployed across the States/UT to ensure that the complaints are attended to within 100 minutes. Besides this, over 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have also been deployed for setting up surprise Nakas at different locations.
General Elections ; political parties can report MCC violations using the C-Vigil Module
- Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on the 26th of February, till 25th March, 2026, over Rs. 408.82 crores worth of illicit inducements including, Rs 17.44 crores in cash, liquor worth Rs. 37.68 crores (16.3 lakh litres), drugs worth Rs. 167.38 crores, precious metals worth Rs. 23 crores and other freebies worth over Rs. 163.30 crores have been seized through a coordinated approach involving multi-enforcement agencies across different States/UTs.
- The Commission has emphasized that enforcement authorities should ensure that ordinary citizens are not inconvenienced. They should not be harassed during the checking and inspection for the enforcement of these directives. District Grievance Committees have also been setup to address any grievances in this regard.
- Citizens/political parties can report MCC violations using the C-Vigil Module on
ECINET.
- From 15th March to 25th March, a total of 70,944 complaints were lodged. During this period, citizens actively used the C-Vigil App in both the General Elections and the bye-elections across various States and UTs.
- Out of these complaints, an impressive 70,831 cases have already been disposed of. Moreover, 67,899 complaints, which accounts for 95.8%, were resolved within just 100 minutes, highlighting the system’s efficiency.
- Overall, this rapid response demonstrates a strong commitment to timely action and transparent electoral processes.
- A complaint redressal system is now available. It includes a Call Centre number 1950. Any member of the public or political party can lodge a complaint with the DEO/RO concerned.
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