EC acknowledges threat posed by drugs during elections

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday acknowledged the threat posed by drugs during elections and said the issue necessitates broader focus and action.

Responding to a question while announcing the schedule for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, Kumar highlighted the severity of the drugs problem across various states, including Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Kumar acknowledged that while the Election Commission's primary role is to oversee the electoral process, the rising threat posed by drugs necessitates broader focus and action.

"Drugs is one major area...we are not regularly involved in enforcement, but every state we have visited, starting from Mizoram to the northeast to Andhra Pradesh to any state, including Haryana, Punjab, J&K, drug is really a menace our youth population is really getting into this habit," he said.

He noted the significant impact of drug abuse on the youth and stressed the importance of curbing this menace.

Reflecting on the past year, Kumar said the Election Commission had taken significant steps to control drug-related activities during the 11 Assembly elections held in 2023.

"In all the elections, we paid special attention to this issue, and a huge amount of drugs were controlled," he said, mentioning instances where such factories were uncovered in places like Noida and Gujarat.

The CEC also highlighted the link between drugs and illegal activities, including the financing of elections.

"Drugs-related money, if one establishes forward and backward linkages, it goes to financing illegal activities, including elections," he said.

Kumar said the Election Commission would maintain a strict stance on this issue, ensuring that the administration and forces keep a close watch on the misuse and spread of drugs, whether in storage, transit, or consumption.

Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir after nearly a decade in three phases from September 18, setting the stage for the people of the Union Territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019.

The Election Commission also announced that elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 1 and results for both the polls will be declared on October 4.