Chandigarh— In a major crackdown on electoral malpractice, Punjab Police, under the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI), have seized illicit items worth over ₹57.47 crore since the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the Tarn Taran Assembly bye-election.
As per official data, between October 7, when the Model Code came into effect, and November 3, the authorities confiscated 51,429.50 litres of liquor valued at ₹32.89 lakh, narcotics worth ₹56.67 crore weighing 21,811.10 grams, unaccounted cash of ₹9.73 lakh, and other materials valued at ₹37.85 lakh.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said that police personnel have been instructed to maintain round-the-clock surveillance through CCTV cameras installed at all checkpoints across the constituency to curb illegal smuggling and prevent voter inducement. He warned that any attempt to influence voters with money, liquor, or gifts will be dealt with strictly.
Providing constituency details, the CEO stated that Tarn Taran has a total of 1,92,838 registered voters — including 1,00,933 men, 91,897 women, and 8 third-gender voters. The list also includes 1,357 service voters, 1,657 senior citizens above 85 years of age, 306 NRI voters, and 1,488 persons with disabilities. Furthermore, 3,333 young voters aged 18 to 19 years will cast their vote for the first time.
To ensure fair and transparent polling, 222 polling stations have been set up at 114 locations, with 60 in urban areas and 162 in rural zones. Officials affirmed that all necessary arrangements are in place to guarantee peaceful elections under tight monitoring and coordination between police and election authorities.
