CPI (M) demanded sources of Rs. 9.36 cr seized by ECI’s enforcement agencies

After the directives of Election Commission of India (ECI), the enforcement agencies working in the poll bound state has seized over Rs. 9.36 crore in last one month,  the opposition CPI(M) in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) , Tripura demanded proper action and urged the CEO to publish the names, business establishments from where this fund was seized.

Earlier, on Friday, the CEO, Tripura through a press statement said that the ECI always ensures that free and fair elections are conducted in India. In order to ensure this, the most important aspect is to curtail the power of money. While curbing the menace of money and muscle power, ECI also ensures that the general public does not face any inconvenience. In fact, all out efforts are made to ensure that the common man on the ground is sensitized to become a stakeholder in aiding and assisting the ECI mechanism in combating the menace of bribery of voters and other corrupt practices, polluting the electoral system.

CEO, Tripura Kiran Gitte said that in November 2022, as per the instruction, Election Expenditure Monitoring (EEM)  agencies have been brought under the umbrella of the CEO and have been activated and the enforcement agencies have been putting in their great efforts.

As a result, within the short period of time from November 24th to December 23rd, 2022, a total of seizure of Rs.9,36,50,449 has been made whereas, the total seizure amount in Assembly Election, 2018 was Rs. 2,57,19,000, said Gitte and has assured that these enforcement drives will continue till election and a level playing field will be ensured for all stakeholders. The EEM agencies include Income Tax, Tripura Excise, Central GST, State GST, Tripura Police, BSF, Narcotics control, Enforcement Directorate.

While, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury in latter to the CEO on Saturday appreciated the renewed venture of the Enforcement Agencies  and said that that  ‘money power’ and ‘muscle power’ are two factors that stand as ‘menace’ against ensuring level playing exercise in any election.

Demanding  some clarification , Chowdhury demanded  that  the CEO communiqué  should clarify whether the money seized is black money or unaccounted money, in what mechanism such a huge amount of money was amassed and  urged the  disclose the identifies and sources of these huge amounts of money.

He also said that it is the right of the state electorates to know who are the elements intending to influence the people’s opinion by illegal use of money power and to preserve the credibility of the election authority as well as sensitizing the electorates about the illegal transaction of the money for dubious purpose,   the CEO, Tripura should publish the names, business establishments from where this fund was seized.