Hyderabad: A good number of southern states are on the radar of the Centre for excessive inflow of unaccounted money with enforcement agencies preparing to tighten their noose around political parties in those states.
Elections are around the corner in Telangana, which is in the lens of agencies. According to estimates, the expenditure incurred by political parties in the state during the previous by-election was Rs 600 crore.
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The same happened in the previous Huzurabad by-election. The value of cash and liquor seized in Telangana during the last assembly elections was Rs 97 crore. There was the flow of unaccounted money by political parties which exceeded the known amount. Sources said there is a high possibility that the volume will exceed the number of previous years in the upcoming elections.
"More than 20 enforcement agencies are going to be pressed into action this time to keep an eye and launch a crackdown on political parties once found guilty," an official, who requested anonymity, said.
The Central Election Commission (EC) has decided to crack down on parties which encourage illegal use of money in elections. In the recent review meeting on election preparations, a group of EC officials expressed concern over the way money is being spent in the state. The poll panel will engage these agencies to control the flow of money in the assembly elections in Telangana.
Generally during the election, the Police Excise, Intelligence, Income Tax, CISF, Railway, and other departments conduct inspections. As part of the preparation for the elections, the Central Election Commission is holding meetings with the senior officers of the respective departments. This time, the EC has decided to deploy more enforcement agencies. Apart from the above departments, Financial Intelligence, State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central and State GST Departments, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Board (NCB) ) held special meetings with the officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED), Airport Authority of India, Regional Registration Office of Foreign Affairs and Department of Ports, Transport.
The meetings featured discussions on the amount captured in the last elections in the state and the expenditure estimates of the last four by-elections. Poll spending in southern states is exceeding perceived notions, said a source. The Election Commission of India will work on inputs provided by agencies and chalk out a strategy so that the menace is stopped, the source further added.
