Karnataka assembly elections 2018: Liquor to saris, state awash in freebies ahead of polls

Karnataka assembly elections 2018: Freebies like cookers and saris worth Rs 16.28 crore and over 88,000 litres of liquor have been seized by the Election Commission-appointed surveillance and expenditure monitoring teams in poll-bound Karnataka till now, according to official data. These teams have also seized 965 cheques, bearing a value of Rs 2.98 crore, as part of total Rs 23.14 crore worth seizures made in the state. According to the data, updated till yesterday, flying squads and surveillance teams seized freebies and illegal inducements worth Rs 16.28 crore that include laptops, vehicles, cookers and sarees.

In addition, 88,254 litres of liquor worth Rs 3.08 crore, 30.25 kilogrammes of drugs worth Rs 19.79 lakh and precious metals like gold and silver worth Rs 3.71 crore have been seized. Seizures worth Rs 4.5 crore, including cash and other items, were released by the surveillance teams post verification as they was meant for genuine purposes, it said. The EC has appointed a number of election expenditure observers in Karnataka, apart from other central observers, to keep a  check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters.

The 224-member Karnataka Assembly will go to polls in a single phase on May 12. 

Karnataka assembly elections counting of votes is scheduled for May 15.