ECI Convenes Meeting to Bolster State Election Preparedness

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) held a high-level coordination meeting on Tuesday to sharpen election readiness across five poll-bound states and their 12 neighboring regions. The Commission issued strict directives to ensure a “violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free” voting process.

Strategic Review of Law and Order

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, led the review with Chief Secretaries, CEOs, and DGPs. The Commission focused on neutralizing electoral malpractices and securing state borders.

Key directives from the ECI include:

• Border Security: Officials must seal inter-state borders to block the movement of illegal cash, liquor, and narcotics.

• Coordinated Surveillance: Central agencies—including the ED, NCB, and Income Tax Department—will intensify operations at inter-state check posts.

• Sensitive Zones: The ECI identified “expenditure-sensitive” constituencies for heightened monitoring of illegal inducements.

• Inter-State Cooperation: Neighboring states must provide full enforcement support to poll-going regions to prevent cross-border violations.

Election Roadmap: Key Dates

The Commission reviewed specific preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections and bypolls. The scheduled polling dates are as follows:

The ECI urged all enforcement heads to act swiftly on actionable intelligence to maximize seizures of illegal items in the final weeks leading up to the polls.