NEW DELHI: Seeking to strengthen electoral preparedness, the Election Commission on Tuesday held an inter-state border meeting to improve coordination among poll-bound Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as well as states where by-elections are scheduled, along with their neighbouring states.
The Commission also met the Multi-Departmental Committee on Election Intelligence (MDCEI) to enhance coordination, curb illegal activities and ensure smooth, secure, violence-free and inducement-free elections across the states going to the polls.
The meeting brought together Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), Directors General of Police (DGPs) and senior officials from the five poll-bound states and their 12 neighbouring states, along with heads of central enforcement agencies.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reviewed the law-and-order situation, poll preparedness, expenditure enforcement and seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms and other items in sensitive constituencies.
According to a senior ECI officer, state officials were also instructed to focus on inter-state check posts and border districts to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections.
“The Commission asked neighbouring states to provide full support to poll-bound states in maintaining peace and order during the elections,” he said.
Heads of central agencies, including the Indian Coast Guard, Assam Rifles and others, were directed to enhance vigilance in border areas and strengthen monitoring at interstate check posts.
Agencies like the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Income Tax Department, Central GST and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) were instructed to intensify operations ahead of the polls, with special emphasis on seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms and other contraband based on actionable intelligence, the officer said.
The meeting aimed to ensure smooth, fair and peaceful elections by improving coordination among state and central authorities and taking proactive steps to prevent violations and illegal activities in both poll-bound states and neighbouring regions.
As per the schedule announced by the ECI, polling in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
Kerala and Assam will vote in a single phase on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23. Voting in Puducherry will also take place on April 9, and the counting of votes for all four states and Puducherry will be held on May 4.
In addition to the Assembly polls, the Commission has also announced by-elections for six Assembly seats across six states—Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura—which will be conducted in two phases, with counting to take place along with the Assembly polls.