Cash-for-votes a major challenge in Puducherry: Chief Electoral Officer

Admitting that the conduct of elections in the Union Territory (UT) was challenging because of the “expenditure sensitivity” of constituencies, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P. Jawahar on Thursday (March 26, 2026) said several measures, including the use of drone technology, are being contemplated to prevent the distribution of cash for votes in all 30 Assembly segments in the UT.

“The elections in the UT are held always in a very peaceful manner. There is only one issue that we confront, and that is the expenditure sensitivity of all 30 constituencies in the region. There is a tendency to distribute and receive cash for votes. It is the single most challenge that we face in the conduct of polls in the UT,” the CEO said while participating in a media orientation programme organised by the Press Information Bureau.

Appealing to the voters not to encourage the trend of distribution of cash and gifts for votes, the CEO said the voters should ponder “whether the money that they take from the candidate was really going to make any improvement in their life. That should be the honest question that everyone should be asking. Even if it’s going to be ₹1 or ₹1,000, the cash inducement will not make much difference in an individual’s life.” 

Lauding a family in Mudaliarpet for displaying a board in front of their house warning candidates against giving money for votes, Mr. Jawahar said electors should discourage candidates from offering money or gifts for votes. Stating that the Election Department was determined to stop the practice, the CEO said that under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the person distributing and receiving money are liable to be punished. 

“We are desperate to stop the inducement practice. The department has plans to deploy drones in all the constituencies to monitor campaigning by candidates. The hi-tech drones will be capable of capturing the images, including those receiving and distributing cash. We want to caution the voters well in advance that accepting cash will be liable for punishment,” he said.

The CEO said surveillance in all the 30 constituencies has been stepped up immediately after the Model Code of Conduct came into force. The MCC enforcement team on Wednesday (March 25) night seized around 3,157 grams of gold worth ₹4.5 crore. The seized gold has been deposited in the treasury, he added.

Speaking at the event, Senior Superintendent of Police, Law and Order, R. Kalaivanan, said the surveillance teams have so far seized ₹25 lakh in cash, 1,500 litres of liquor, and 1,500 kg of banned tobacco items. Around 19 static check posts have been established in the Puducherry region alone for round-the-clock surveillance to prevent inducement of voters and MCC violations. Apart from teams deployed at the check posts, 24 enforcement agencies are working towards making the elections free and transparent.

Around 550 persons with criminal history have been taken into preventive custody and 42 people have been exterminated. Besides the deployment of around 3,500 personnel belonging to the Puducherry police, 45 companies of Central Armed Police Forces would be deployed for elections duty in Puducherry. Ten companies of CAPF have already reached the region and the remaining would arrive in a few days, he said.