Lucknow, November 13: Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Election Commission has intensified preparations to curb the illegal movement of cash, liquor, drugs and other inducements aimed at influencing voters.
A high-level meeting involving senior officials from 23 central and state enforcement agencies was held at Yojana Bhawan in Lucknow on Thursday to strengthen election expenditure monitoring.
23 Agencies On Alert
The agencies, including the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED), GST authorities, Customs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), police and Excise Department, have been directed to coordinate closely.
Special surveillance will be maintained at interstate and international border checkpoints to prevent illegal transportation of cash, precious metals, narcotics and other valuables.
Banks will also monitor unusually large deposits, withdrawals and suspicious financial transactions.
Sensitive Constituencies Identified
Authorities will identify Expenditure Sensitive Constituencies (ESCs) by analysing seizure records from the 2022 Assembly elections, 2024 Lok Sabha elections and activities recorded during the previous six months.
The findings will help determine constituencies requiring additional surveillance and deployment of expenditure observers.
Nine Flying Squads Per Constituency
Each Assembly constituency will have nine Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) and nine Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) to monitor activities linked to election expenditure.
Officials reviewed preparations for the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS), which will enable agencies to share seizure information and coordinate legal action.
Departments must ensure accurate reporting of seized quantities, values and measurements while preventing duplicate entries.
Senior Officers Must Attend Meetings
The Election Commission has directed agencies to appoint senior-level nodal officers who must personally attend coordination meetings.
Departments will submit reports covering previous seizures, border surveillance challenges and proposed monitoring strategies.
Officials will also present their action plans and achievements during subsequent meetings.
The measures aim to ensure free, fair and transparent Assembly elections in 2027 by preventing the misuse of money and illegal inducements during campaigning.
