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Elections during a Pandemic Chapter 7

The Elec on Commission appointed more than 1650 liquour, drugs , freebies and precious metals were put at
Observers, mostly senior civil servants, to oversee various INR 331 crores which exceeded total seizures made
aspects of the elec ons. In addi on, 12 Special Observers, during the last assembly elec ons in those states (2016)
being mostly re red civil servants, were also appointed. though the main polling was yet to start. By the end of
elec ons on April 27, 2021 the figure of seizures across
Muscle and money power tend to vi ate the free exercise
five states/UT had mounted to INR 1042.05 crores.
of franchise in the elec ons. The Elec on Commission
has always priori sed the curbing of these twin menaces. Interna onal Elec on Visitors Programme during the
For instance, this me the Elec on Commission forbade elec ons is now a permanent feature of the Elec on
taking out bike rallies showing muscle power during the Commission’s outreach ac vi es. However, due to the
elec ons. The Commission, in coordina on with pandemic, the programme was held virtually. On April 5-6,
intelligence and law enforcing agencies, launched a 2021 the Elec on Commission conducted a two-day
significant drive to curb the misuse of money power in all Interna onal Elec on Visitor's Programme (IEVP), 2021 as
its manifesta ons. According to a press statement dated part of which more than 100 delegates from 26 countries
March 17, 2021 the value of seizures in terms of cash, and three interna onal organisa ons were given a virtual

Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioner addressing the participants in Virtual IEVP, 2021

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