As Karnataka gears up for assembly polls, the value of cash and jewellery seizure by the Income Tax Department there has gone up three times to about Rs 25 crore in the state as compared to the last elections, the Election Commission  said today.


The EC said it has also been found that the "bulk of cash seized during operations in the present assembly elections has been meant for distribution."


During the last assembly polls in 2013, the tax department had seized Rs 4.97 crore of cash and jewellery worth Rs 3.41 crore during the "entire" campaign period, the EC said.


"Total cash seizures (as part of the ongoing poll campaign) as on April 30 is Rs 19.69 crore and unexplained jewellery of Rs 4.81 crore has been made by the investigation wing of the Income Tax Department in Karnataka since the start of the assembly election related surveillance," the poll body said today. There is still over a week more of campaigning left for the May 12 single-phase polls in the state. -- PTI


File pic: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah with Congress president Rahul Gandhi