NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MAR 22
Seizure of cash and kind valued at Rs 231.63 crore has been recovered by various enforcement agencies in poll-bound Tamil Nadu so far, said Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo on Monday.
Sahoo, responding to reporters’ queries on the sudden spurt in coronavirus cases in the state and if it will have a bearing on the polls, said “everything is going as per plan and we are in close touch with the health department.”
“And whatever Standard Operating Procedures they are asking us to follow or asking the general public to follow is being done. So election will be held (as planned),” he said.
Listing out details of the seizure done by flying squads, static surveillance teams, IT personnel and others, Sahoo said cash constituted Rs 83.99 crore out of the Rs 231 crore recovery.
Precious metals, apparently gold, worth Rs 130.51 crore and liquor valued at Rs 1.70 crore have also been seized, he added.
Over 2,000 complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct have been received and cases filed, he said, adding preventive arrest of 8,158 persons has been effected.
According to Sahoo, Tamil Nadu’s total voters were 6,29,43,512, with women outnumbering men. While the state had 3.09 crore male voters, females numbered 3.19 crore. There were as many as 7,192 third gender members.
Single phase polling to 234 Assembly seats are scheduled on April 6 in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling AIADMK seeking to retain power for the third term, while the DMK aims to make a comeback, with Makkal Needhi Maiam and Nam Tamizhar Katchi being the other expected significant players.Counting will take place on May 2.
