Maharashtra Elections 2024: ECI Orders District Collectors To Inspect Police Vehicles Amid Cash Distribution Allegations

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India has ordered district collectors to check police vehicles to prevent cash distribution to voters during the election period.

The directions came after NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar recently alleged that huge amounts of cash was being transported in police vehicles to support ruling party candidates.

“We have come to know from many districts, from officials, that candidates from the ruling parties are getting financial assistance for polls and that police vehicles are being used. Officials of the police department have also said that,” Pawar claimed.

“We have standard SOPs and rules for vehicle checking. We don’t check vehicles of some dignitaries like the President of India, governor and other important constitutional officers whose name is mentioned in the exemption list, but police vehicles can be checked,” Additional Chief Election Officer Dr Kiran Kulkarni said on Tuesday.

“We have not received any official complaints about police vehicles being used to distribute cash, but after Pawar’s statement, we have issued directions to all district collectors to check all vehicles, excluding those exempted by the Election Commission,” he said.

Moreover, while speaking on the complaint made by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai against the Deepotsav programme conducted by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at Shivaji Park during Diwali, Kulkarni said that after receiving the complaint, we removed ‘kandils’ imprinted with MNS symbol and name from the area.