Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have confiscated around 1 billion rupees ($15 million) on suspicion the money was to be used to buy votes in the local election next week.
They also confiscated gold jewelry worth 4.8 million rupees, 1.2 million rupees worth of cigarettes and 8,000 lungis–a wrap-around garment worn by men–worth 800,000 rupees,according to a news release from the office of the chief electoral officer.
Voting for the state assembly polls is scheduled to begin May 16.
The total amount of cash confiscated is the highest amount to be seized during a poll in Tamil Nadu, said an officer at the election monitoring agency who asked not to be named.
Voters are increasingly disillusioned across India, particularly Tamil Nadu, said Sudarsan Padmanabhan, co-ordinator for Tamil Nadu elections at The Association for Democratic Reforms or ADR, a non-governmental body which seeks to independently monitor elections.
“Politicians promise good roads, infrastructure, and good governance but seldom deliver,” Mr. Padmanabhan said.
So people are increasingly happy to take cash upfront, he said. “Cynical reciprocity, that has become the order of the day.”
At the last election in Tamil Nadu, some people said they were offered between 2,000 rupees and 5,000 rupees for their vote, Mr. Padmanabhan said.
