ECI reviews poll preparedness in West Bengal -Governance Now

ECI reviews poll preparedness in West Bengal

"Most parties appreciated the SIR exercise and also reposed their complete faith and trust in ECI"

GN Bureau | March 9, 2026

#West Bengal #ECI #Elections

CEC Gyanesh Kumar visits Kalighat Temple, Kolkata, on Monday ahead of the review meetings on poll preparedness for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi held a detailed and comprehensive review of the poll preparedness for the forthcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections in Kolkata on Monday.

During the review visit, the Commission interacted with the representatives of recognized national political parties namely Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, and National People’s Party and the recognised state political parties, namely, All India Forward Bloc and the All India Trinamool Congress and sought their suggestions.

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 ECI, an official release said.

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 forthcoming elections. They called upon the ECI to ensure a peaceful, free & fair elections.

They 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. Political parties urged the Commission to conduct the elections in one or two phases.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar assured the political parties that elections in India are held as per Law and ECI will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring an impartial, transparent and a free and fair poll in West Bengal. He said that ECI will have Zero tolerance towards violence and intimidation of either electors or election staff.

The political parties assured the Commission that they will fully cooperate in ensuring that the polls in West Bengal are free of violence.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar reiterated that SIR has been conducted in the most transparent manner. He said that the objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible elector is left out while no ineligible person is included in the Electoral Rolls. He added that Forms 6/7/8 can still be filed for any inclusions/deletions/changes.

Later, the Commission held a detailed review with the Heads/Nodal Officers of Enforcement Agencies, IGs, DIGs, Divisional Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, DEOs and SSPs/SPs on every aspect of election planning, EVM management, logistics, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, voter awareness and outreach activities.

The Commission directed all Heads/Nodal Officers of Enforcement Agencies to act with complete impartiality and firmly clamp down on all inducement related activities.

The Commission also directed all DEOs to ensure that Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs), including ramps, wheelchairs and drinking water, are made available at all polling stations for the comfort of voters.

Comments

Other News

How Rafi, Raj Kapoor helped pave the way for a great uranium deal

There`s a certain moment in diplomacy that`s too personal to be captured in a communiqué, too small to make the front page, but more revealing than the front page. This week, prime minister Narendra Modi reached Tashkent and, amid the pomp of state visits, managed to evoke the old Bollywood tunes

Distinguishing Fish 1 and Fish 2: The pragmatism behind India’s WTO ratification

India became the 123rd WTO member to ratify the multilateral Agreement on Fisheries subsidies (AoFS) when it deposited the Instrument of Acceptance for Phase 1 on July 20, 2026. The ratification is restricted to disciplining Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), protection for overfished

The 7% growth problem: Why the next 7% will be harder

India has become accustomed to hearing the 7% growth number. It is now less a milestone than an expectation. Yet the paradox is becoming clearer: maintaining 7% growth may be considerably harder than achieving it once. India’s real GDP grew 7.7% in FY2025–26, following growth of 6.5% in FY202

The Constitution cannot be altered: Justice Abhay Oka

Justice Abhay Oka, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2025, has said that the Constitution of India cannot be altered. Explaining the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) on the basic structure of the Constitution, he said, “This is one judgment that has saved democracy in India.&rdq

How the flora and fauna evolved in the Indian subcontinent

Mammals of India By A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer HarperCollins India in association with Bombay Natural History Society

India`s renewable race is moving beyond megawatts

When Shell bought Sprng Energy in 2022, India`s renewable energy market appeared to offer precisely what global energy majors were seeking: scale, growth and a place in one of the world`s largest energy transitions. Four years later, Shell is selling the same business to Aditya Birla Group for an enterpris