Assam's invisible money trail: how hawala is driving the election campaign

The vigilance

• By 22 March, about two weeks before the Assam polls, the Election Commission had already seized Rs 7.12 crore in illegal cash
• It has set up 389 flying squads, 364 static surveillance teams and 355 check posts for vigilance

The reality

• The EC's teams are helpless: they lack resources and time to fully check the illegal cash flow
• The money brought in to the state illegally is then used by candidates to buy the support of organisations, and even opponents in some cases

More in the story

• Where the money comes from and where it goes
• How even VIPs' vehicles are used to transport the moneyIn the run up to the Assembly polls in Assam, the Election Commission of India had seized Rs 7.12 crore in illegally-obtained cash till 22 March.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters that the amount seized was several times higher than previous elections in the state, and added the illegal movement of money had been checked.

The commission has set up 389 flying squads, 364 static surveillance teams and 355 check posts for the purpose.

The reality, however, may be quite different. This phenomenon is nothing new, but the amount seems to be increasing with every election, a middle-rung official of the state election commission said. He claimed that hundreds of crores have changed hands ahead of the polls, through a system that is 'extremely efficsomeient'.