New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out searches, arrests and summons, particularly in poll-bound states ruled by Opposition parties, leading to the Opposition accusing them of selective targeting ahead of state elections, reported Indian Express.The ED, a central investigation agency, on its part maintains that its actions are evidence-driven and aimed at tackling financial crimes. The agency didn’t respond to the newspaper’s calls, text messages or email queries.The Indian Express report cited the example of West Bengal, wherein just before the state elections, the ED has carried out around 20 operations involving searches, arrests, property attachments and interrogations across multiple cases in the past two months.In just 23 days between the time period of March 28 and April 19, the agency conducted eight search operations involving more than 50 premises spread across six cities, summoned nine people for questioning, and arrested four persons in relation to ED cases registered in West Bengal.In several of these cases, the ED termed its intervention as a step towards “ensuring free, fair and fearless elections” in the state – a framing that has drawn sharp criticism from the TMC.The ED’s action in poll-bound West Bengal include the searches of the residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain and the subsequent arrest of another I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel. I-PAC is a political consultancy firm which has the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal as among its biggest clients.The ED also attached assets worth Rs 3.65 crore linked to TMC leader and minister Chandranath Sinha in the primary teachers’ recruitment scam.The Indian Express reported that on April 11, a fresh raid was carried out by the ED at premises linked to former minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the long-running teacher recruitment scam.The agency also issued summons to several TMC leaders including actor and former MP Nusrat Jahan, ministers Sujit Bose and Rathin Ghosh and questioned TMC heavyweight Rashbehari candidate Debasish Kumar twice.In Kerala, another state which was going to elections, searches were carried out in January 2026 across 21 locations in a Sabarimala-linked gold misappropriation case.Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, the ED’s probe into alleged irregularities linked to TASMAC transactions has led to sharp political exchanges.The ED had also conducted raids on April 15 at over 10 locations in Punjab – another Opposition-ruled state – linked to ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, coinciding with his appointment as the party’s leader in the Upper House. Thereafter, premises linked to AAP minister Sanjeev Arora were searched in a FEMA-related probe involving alleged fund round-tripping, reported Indian Express.Elections in Punjab will be held next year.