Election Commission

May 14, 2026 3:20 PM

ECI announces Phase-III Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across 16 states and 3 UTs

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the launch of Phase-III of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 16 States and three Union Territories. According to the ECI, the schedule for the third phase has been planned in coordination with the ongoing Census house-listing exercise, as both activities involve the same field-level machinery. With the rollout of Phase-III, the SIR process will now cover the entire country, barring Himachal Pradesh, Jammu...

April 27, 2026 9:47 PM

West Bengal assembly elections: Poll crackdown intensifies as seizures cross Rs 510 crore

Seizures of illicit inducements in West Bengal have crossed ₹510 crore ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, marking a significant escalation in enforcement action by the Election Commission of India (ECI). According to ECI, the total value of seizures in the state reached ₹510.10 crore between February 26 and April 27, surpassing the ₹339 crore recorded during the 2021 Assembly elections. The seizures include cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and other inducements intended to influen...

April 22, 2026 7:31 PM

West Bengal gears up for first phase of a high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election

West Bengal goes to the polls on Thursday, in the first of the two-phase high-stakes, tightly-policed Assembly election, where about 3.6 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in roughly 44,000 polling booths across 152 constituencies in 16 districts. Though there has been a significant reduction in phases compared to earlier elections, the state is witnessing an unprecedented deployment of central security agencies with new and unique Election Commission measures aimed at the st...

April 17, 2026 5:54 PM

Poll seizures cross Rs 865 crore in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal ahead of assembly elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said seizures related to election-related violations have crossed ₹865 crore in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as enforcement measures intensify ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The Commission had announced the poll schedule on March 15 for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bye-elections, and directed strict implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Massive enforcement drive under...

April 6, 2026 4:10 PM

ECI mandates pre-certification of print ads ahead of 2026 assembly polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made pre-certification of political advertisements in print media mandatory during the immediate pre-poll period and on polling day for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections and bye-elections. The directive applies to elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where polling is scheduled in phases later this month. According to the poll body, no political party, candidate, organisation or individual will be allowed to publish ad...

April 5, 2026 3:24 PM

ECI steps up vigil ahead of assembly elections, bypolls; seizures cross Rs 650 crore

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said seizures related to cash, liquor, drugs and other inducements have crossed ₹650 crore ahead of the upcoming assembly elections and bypolls across multiple states. According to the Commission, enforcement agencies have seized assets worth ₹651.51 crore since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26. The seizures include cash, liquor, narcotics, precious metals and other freebies aimed at influencing...

April 4, 2026 3:39 PM

Election Commission launches ECINet KYC feature to help voters check candidates’ background

Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections and by-elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged voters to make informed choices by using the “Know Your Candidates” (KYC) module available on its ECINet platform. The Commission had earlier announced the poll schedule on March 15 for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, along with by-elections in several constituencies across multiple states. Over 1,900 Candidates in Fray According to the ECI, ...

March 28, 2026 1:32 AM

ECI lists 1,955 candidates for Assembly polls and by-elections across five states

The Election Commission of India on Friday said a total of 1,955 candidates remain in the fray for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with by-elections in six states. The poll schedule was announced on March 15, with April 9 set as the voting date for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and select by-polls. According to the ECI, 250 candidates withdrew their nominations by the March 26 deadline, bringing the total number of contestants for the ...

March 27, 2026 3:41 PM

Election Commission ramps up voter awareness drive in poll-bound states, mega SVEEP event held in Howrah

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has intensified its voter awareness campaigns across poll-bound states, with a major outreach event organised in Howrah under the theme “Chunav Ka Parv, Paschim Bengal Ka Garv” ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. As part of its Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, the ECI, in coordination with Chief Electoral Officers and District Election Officers, has rolled out state-wide initiatives in West Bengal, Assam, Kera...

March 18, 2026 3:51 PM

Election Commission deploys 2.5 million personnel for Assembly polls in five states

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mobilised over 2.5 million personnel to conduct “violence-free” and “inducement-free” Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six other states. The large-scale deployment follows the announcement of the poll schedule on March 15 and will cover more than 174 million eligible voters across the five states and the Union Territory, translating to roughly one election official for ever...