Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with other EC officials on Monday, reviewed poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly Elections in West Bengal.
Most political parties appreciated the massive SIR exercise being carried out by ECI in the state of West Bengal and also reposed their complete faith and trust in the Commission, mentioned a statement by the ECI.
During the visit, the Commission interacted with representatives of multiple parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India Forward Bloc and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), among others, as per an official statement.
ECI meeting in Bengal: Key Highlights
– ECI said that political parties urged the Commission to take stringent measures to curb ensure that there are no acts of aggression or intimidation of voters during the upcoming elections.
– They also called upon ECI to provide protection to each voter and deploy CAPF in large numbers to curb violence during elections. The parties raised their concerns about the possibility of use of crude bombs, illegal firearms, money and muscle power by certain parties.
– CEC Kumar assured parties that elections in India are conducted strictly according to law and that the Commission would ensure an impartial, transparent and free and fair election in the state. He said the Election Commission would maintain “zero tolerance” towards violence or intimidation of voters and election officials.
– Later, the Commission also held a review meeting with senior administrative and police officials, including divisional commissioners, commissioners of police, district election officers and superintendents of police, to assess preparations related to election planning, logistics, electronic voting machines, law and order, and voter awareness programs.
– It directed heads and nodal officers of enforcement agencies to act impartially and take strict action against any inducement-related activities during the elections.
— It also asked District Election Officers (DEOs) to ensure that all polling stations provide Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs), including ramps, wheelchairs and drinking water, for voters.
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026
Elections for the entire 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly are likely to be held around April 2026, though the Election Commission has not yet announced the official schedule.
The term of the current 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly is set to end on May 7, 2026. Hence, polls are likely to be conducted between March and April to allow the new Assembly to be constituted before the term expires.
