Dahod, Feb 14 (IANS): Ahead of the local body elections, the police on Friday seized a vehicle carrying Rs 1.38 crore in cash and 108 kilograms of silver in Gujarat's Dahod, said officials here.
Gujarat is set to conduct its local body elections on February 16, encompassing various municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats.
In view of the elections, the vigil has been enhanced. The Dahod police intercepted the courier vehicle transporting cash and silver.
The vehicle, bearing Uttar Pradesh registration plates and labelled as belonging to Ojas Speed Courier Company, was en route from Jhansi to Rajkot. Upon inspection at the Khangela outpost on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border, authorities discovered 108 kilograms of silver bricks concealed beneath the driver's seat and Rs 1.38 crore in cash. The total seizure is valued at approximately Rs 2.19 crore.
Three individuals from Jhansi -- driver Virendrakumar Sharma, Manishkumar Gupta, and Raju Patel -- have been arrested in connection with the incident. Investigations are ongoing to determine any potential links to the upcoming elections or illicit activities.
The State Election Commission has announced that voting will take place for the Junagadh Municipal Corporation, 66 municipalities, and three taluka panchayats. Additionally, by-elections are scheduled for three vacant seats in municipal corporations, 21 seats in municipalities, nine seats in district panchayats, and 91 seats in taluka panchayats. The counting of votes is slated for February 18.
In preparation for these elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been actively finalizing its list of candidates. A two-day meeting of the state parliamentary board was held to strategize and select suitable candidates for the upcoming polls. BJP has secured 215 seats and four municipalities uncontested in the local body elections.
The State Election Commission has implemented a 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in these elections, following the Gujarat government's approval in August 2023 based on the Justice Jhaveri Commission's recommendations. This move aligns with the Supreme Court's mandate that OBC reservations in local bodies be grounded in population-based data.