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

Here’s an I.D.E.A. for career growth and success

Success in today’s professional organisation is no longer solely determined by academic qualifications, technical expertise or years of experience. While these attributes do matter, organisations increasingly value individuals who demonstrate the right mindset and behavioural qualities. The ability

PM interacts with CEOs, founders of space startups

Prime minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and Founders of 20 Space Startups at Seva Teerth on Friday. CEOs of leading companies in the space sector working in diverse fields ranging from building rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satelli

From one cow to a dairy business

In 2012, Anita Dash wasn`t dreaming of building a dairy brand. She wasn`t studying business models or planning market expansion. Like countless mothers across India, her focus was on something much simpler: giving her children a better future. At the time, her most valuable

Ethanol blending: The two sides of a story

India`s crude oil consumption is estimated to be around 88.5% imported from abroad. This one single figure is also responsible for why ethanol has become both an economic strategy and fuel policy at the same time. In an economy like India, which depends so heavily on foreign oil, any increase in internat

Food inflation: Not a macroeconomic statistic but a developmental indicator

India`s retail inflation shows a reassuring picture at first glance. According to the latest data, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation edged up to 4.38% in June 2026 from 3.93% in May 2026, but continued to remain within the Reserve Bank of India`s (RBI) target band of 4% (+/- 2%). However, beneath this

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.