The cash-in-elections scourge

Address systemic problems underlying election spending

Nationwide raids have revealed the degree to which election campaigns in India are dependent upon large amounts of — possibly illegal — money. The Election Commission’s (EC’s) special team has so far seized cash, alcohol and drugs from across the country, the value of which could total Rs 1,800 crore. This is clearly not just a major problem but also one that is growing. Polling is not yet properly underway and yet already it seems that the cash seizures during the 2014 election, of Rs 300 crore, have been dwarfed. Of the total haul, Rs 473 crore has already been