The authorities have reported the confiscation of unaccounted cash, illegal liquor, and various items amounting to Rs 73.90 crore as of Wednesday, starting from October 9 when the model code of conduct was implemented in Chhattisgarh.
A day before the second phase of the state assembly elections in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, police seized approximately Rs 11.50 lakh in cash from the vehicle of Ram Dayal Uikey, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Pali-Tanakhar constituency.
The former MLA was reportedly in the vehicle when the police conducted the seizure.
Korba Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla told PTI, "Some local villagers intercepted Uikey's vehicle (a SUV) near Jhunkidi village under Pasan police station area (Pali-Tanakhar constituency) and informed the police at around 1 am."
Later, the police recovered Rs 11.50 lakh cash during a search of the vehicle, Shukla said, adding that the money and the vehicle were seized after Uikey failed to produce documents in support of the cash.
Further action is being taken as per the law, he added.
Meanwhile, authorities have reported the confiscation of unaccounted cash, illegal liquor, and various items amounting to Rs 73.90 crore as of Wednesday, starting from October 9 when the model code of conduct was implemented in the state. The seizure includes Rs 20.15 crore cash, they said.
Pali-Tanakhar is among the 70 seats which will go to polls on Friday in the second phase of the state elections. Polling to 20 out of a total of 90 seats in the state was held on November 7.
Uikey was first elected as a BJP MLA from Marwahi seat in 1998. He later joined the Congress and vacated his seat to pave the way for the entry of Ajit Jogi into the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly after the latter was sworn in as the first chief minister of the state.
As a Congress candidate, Uikey won the Tanakhar seat in 2003. That seat became Pali-Tanakhar after delimitation in 2008. He won that seat in 2008 and 2013. But he returned to the BJP in 2018 and contested from Pali-Tanakhar, but lost to the Congress nominee.
Uikey has been re-nominated by the BJP from Pali-Tanakhar, where the Congress has denied a ticket to its sitting MLA and fielded a woman candidate Duleshwari Sidar.