ECI Holds Inter-State Border Meeting For Assembly Polls, Bypolls
CEC Gyanesh Kumar reviews law and order situation in five poll-bound states and UT as well as their 12 bordering states and UTs.
Published : March 24, 2026 at 5:56 PM IST
New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and bypolls, the Election Comission of India (ECI) on Tuesday held an inter-state border meeting to enhance coordination, curb illegal activities and ensure smooth, secure, violence-free and inducement-free elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi held a review meeting with the chief secretaries, CEOs, DGPs, and senior officers from the five poll-bound states and Union Territory and their 12 bordering states and UTs along with the heads of enforcement agencies to review readiness and enhance coordination along with directing all concerned to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections.
During the meeting, they reviewed the poll-preparedness, law-and order situation, seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms, inter-state check posts, expenditure sensitive constituencies for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in six states, including Tripura and Karnataka.
The poll-bound states briefed about their overall preparation, law and order issues, expenditures, and concerns or pending issues with central agencies and neighbouring states. Special focus was placed on bordering districts and sealing of borders to maintain peace and order in the states and UT going to polls, ECI official said.
The bordering states were directed to take all possible steps to aid the poll-bound states and UT in ensuring inducement free and violence free elections, it said.
The Chief Election Commissioner directed the heads of agencies including CBDT, ED, DRI, RBI, IBA, NCB, ICG, BCAS, AAI, Postal Service, CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB, RPF, ITBP, Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles to ensure heightened vigilance in poll-bound states/UT and in bordering areas, with enhanced vigilance at all inter-state check posts.
The Central agencies including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Income Tax Department, Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) were directed to intensify efforts in the run-up to the polls and maximise seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms and so on while acting upon actionable intelligence.
Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry will take place in a single phase, and in West Bengal in two phases.
The term of the Assam Assembly is set to conclude on May 20, while the Kerala Assembly's term will end on May 23. The Tamil Nadu Assembly's tenure will end on May 10, and the West Bengal Assembly's term will expire on May 7.
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