New Delhi, March 24 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) held a high-level review meeting on Tuesday with top officials from states going to the polls and their neighboring regions to strengthen coordination and ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections.
According to an official statement, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), Directors General of Police (DGPs), and other senior officials from the five states/UTs going to the polls and the 12 adjoining states/UTs, along with heads of key enforcement agencies.
The Commission reviewed overall preparedness, law and order, and measures to curb electoral malpractices, while directing all stakeholders to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, assessed poll readiness across states.
The review meeting covered key areas such as law and order, seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, and arms, deployment at inter-state check posts, and identification of expenditure-sensitive constituencies for the upcoming Assembly elections and bypolls in six states.
Officials from the states going to the polls briefed the Commission on their preparedness, enforcement actions, and any coordination issues with central agencies and neighboring states.
Special emphasis was placed on heightened vigilance in border districts, including sealing inter-state borders to prevent the movement of illicit inducements and maintain public order.
Neighboring states were directed to extend full cooperation to the regions going to the polls to ensure seamless enforcement and curb cross-border violations.
The ECI also instructed central enforcement and security agencies – including the Income Tax Department, GST authorities, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and various paramilitary forces – to step up surveillance and intensify coordinated operations, particularly at inter-state check posts.
The Commission emphasised the need to act swiftly on actionable intelligence and maximize seizures of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, and other inducements in the run-up to polling.
As per the schedule, polling in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will be held on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23. West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.