Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections on March 15,2026. The Commission has directed the State/UT governments to ensure strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
It may be recalled that the Commission has held multiple review meetings with the Chief Secretaries, CEOs, DGPs, and senior officers from the poll-going states/UTs and their bordering states/UTs along with the Heads of Enforcement Agencies and directed them to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement free elections.
To ensure this, over 5,011 (2,728 in WB and 2,283 in TN) Flying Squad Teams (FSTs) have been deployed across the two States to ensure that the complaints are attended to within 100 minutes. Besides this, over 5,363 (3,142 in WB and 2,221 in TN) Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have also been deployed for setting up surprise Nakas at different locations.
Since the activation of the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, 2026, the data up to April 22, 2026 is presented below.
S. No
State
Cash (Rs.
Crore)
Liquor Qty (Litres)
Liquor Value (Rs.
Crore)
Drugs Value (Rs.
Crore)
Preciou s Metal (Rs.
Crore)
Freebies
/Other (Rs.
Crore)
Total (Rs.
Crore)
1.
West Bengal
27.48
39,31,463
102.45
108.11
55.88
178.83
472.89
2.
Tamil Nadu
100.19
1,17,713
3.85
76.72
159.31
259.14
599.24
TOTAL
127.67
40,49,176
106.3
184.83
215.19
437.97
1072.13
The Commission has also stressed that the enforcement authorities should ensure that ordinary citizens are not inconvenienced or harassed during the checking and inspection for the enforcement of these directives. District Grievance Committees have also been setup to address any grievances in this regard.
Citizens/political parties can report MCC violations using the C-Vigil Module on ECINET.
The Election Commission of India commenced the second phase of International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP), 2026 for the ongoing General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal in New Delhi today.
Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated the programme today at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
34 delegates from 17 countries including representatives from their Foreign Missions in Delhi and a representative of International IDEA will be participating in the second phase of the programme.
The participants will visit Tamil Nadu and West Bengal from April 22 to April 23, 2026. In the first phase, the delegates of the Programme visited Assam, Kerala and Puducherry from April 8 to April 9, 2026.
The delegates were given demonstration of the EVM at IIIDEM today and they took part in the mock poll using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to get a hands-on experience of the voting process.
The delegates evinced keen interest in the technological interventions and administrative safeguards in the election process in India. The delegates had an interactive session with the experts clarifying their doubts/queries.
The delegates will be travelling to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on April 22, 2026. They will visit the dispatch and distribution centres and other facilities including the District Control Rooms and the Media Monitoring Centres. They will also witness the actual polling in the morning of April 23, 2026.
The IEVP is a flagship program of the ECI for international cooperation and engagement with the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of other countries and International Organizations.
The IEVP provides a comprehensive overview of India’s electoral framework, institutional mechanisms, and operational architecture, while familiarising foreign EMB delegates with best practices and innovations in election management.
The IEVP showcases the strengths of India’s electoral system to the international community and sharing the best practices adopted in the world’s largest democracy for conduct of elections.
Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in 6 states on March 15, 2026.
Polling in the State of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase-I) is scheduled for April 23, 2026 (Thursday), and for West Bengal (Phase-II) it will be conducted on April 29, 2026 (Wednesday), with the counting of votes for all polling States and Union Territories to take place on May 4, 2026 (Monday).
Section 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 provides that no spirituous, fermented or intoxicating liquor or other substances of like nature shall be sold, given or distributed at a hotel, eating house, tavern, shop or any other place, public or private, within a polling area during the period of forty-eight hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of poll for any election in the polling area.
In view of the statutory provision as above, ‘Dry day’ shall be declared and notified under the relevant State/Union Territory laws as is appropriate during 48 hours, ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll with respect to polling day for an election in that polling area where General Election to Legislative Assembly is being held. This will include the date of re-poll, if any.
The Commission also directs that the date on which Counting of votes is to be taken up i.e. May 4, 2026 (Monday) shall also be declared ‘Dry Day’ under the relevant laws in poll going State/UT.
No liquor shops, hotels, restaurants, clubs and other establishments selling or serving liquor shall be permitted to sell/ serve liquor to anyone whosoever, on the aforesaid days.
Non-proprietary clubs, star hotels, restaurants etc. and hotels functioning under different categories of licenses for possession and supply of liquor, shall not be permitted to serve liquor on these days.
The storage of liquor by individuals shall be curtailed during the above period and the restrictions provided in the excise law on the storage of liquor in unlicensed premises shall be vigorously enforced.
With the General Election to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states, scheduled to begin following the announcement on March 15, 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued firm directives to ensure a seamless and voter-friendly experience across all polling stations.
The Commission has instructed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and union territories to guarantee that each of the 2,18,807 polling stations is equipped with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) and robust voter assistance mechanisms on poll day.
As part of the AMF framework, every polling station will be provided with drinking water, a waiting area with shade, a toilet with water facility, adequate lighting, a ramp with proper gradient for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) electors, a standard voting compartment, and clear signage. In a move to enhance comfort, CEOs have also been directed to place benches at regular intervals along queues, allowing electors to sit while awaiting their turn to vote.
To strengthen voter awareness, four uniform and standardized Voter Facilitation Posters (VFPs) will be prominently displayed at all polling stations. These posters will contain key information, including polling station details, the list of candidates, do’s and don’ts, approved identification documents, and the voting process.
Additionally, Voter Assistance Booths (VABs) will be established at every polling station location. Staffed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and officials, these booths will assist electors in locating their polling booth number and serial number in the electoral roll. The VABs will feature prominent signage to ensure easy visibility as voters approach the premises.
In one of several initiatives aimed at voter convenience, a mobile phone deposit facility will be provided outside the entrance of each polling station. Voters can hand over their switched-off phones to a designated volunteer before entering, and collect them after casting their vote.
The Election Commission has reiterated that the provisioning of AMF and related accessibility measures is mandatory, and strict compliance will be monitored across all polling stations. All field functionaries have been directed to complete necessary works well in advance of poll dates to ensure a seamless and pleasant voting experience for every elector.
The Commission has decided to hold the bye-election to fill vacancies in the following Assembly Constituencies of Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha: –
Sl. No.
Name of State
Assembly Constituency No. & Name
Maharashtra
166-Andheri East
Bihar
178-Mokama
Bihar
101-Gopalganj
Haryana
47-Adampur
Telangana
93-Munugode
Uttar Pradesh
139-Gola Gokrannath
Odisha
46-Dhamnagar(SC)
Schedule for the bye election is as follows:
Schedule for Bye-election for Assembly Constituencies
Poll Events
Schedule
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification
7th October, 2022
(Friday)
Last Date of Nominations
14th October, 2022
(Friday)
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations
15th October, 2022
(Saturday)
Last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures
17th October, 2022
(Monday)
Date of Poll
3rd November, 2022
(Thursday)
Date of Counting
6th November, 2022
(Sunday)
Date before which election shall be completed
8th November, 2022
(Tuesday)
ELECTORAL ROLLS
The Electoral Rolls for the aforesaid Assembly Constituencies w.r.t 01.01.2022 will be used for these elections.
ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES(EVMs) & VVPATs
The Comission has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in the bye-elections in all the polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.
IDENTIFICATION OF VOTERS
Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) shall be the main document of identification of a voter. However, any of the below mentioned identification documents can also be shown at the polling station:
Aadhar Card,
MNREGA Job Card,
Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office,
Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour,
Driving License,
PAN Card,
Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR,
Indian Passport,
Pension document with photograph,
Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies, and
Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs.
Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India
MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT
The Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary / Assembly constituency going for election is included, subject to partial modification as issued vide Commission’s instruction No. 437/6/1NST/2016-CCS, dated 29thJune, 2017 (available on the commission’s website).
INFORMATION REGARDING CRIMINAL ANTECEDENTS
Candidates with criminal antecedents are required to publish information in this regard in newspapers and through Television channels on three occasions during the campaign period. A political party that sets up candidates with criminal antecedents is also required to publish information about criminal background of its candidates, both on its website and also in newspapers and Television channels on three occasions.
Commission vide its letter No. 3/4/2019/SDR/Vol. IV dated 16th September, 2020 has directed that the period specified will be decided with three blocks in the following manner, so that electors have sufficient time to know about the background of such candidates:
Within first 4 days of withdrawal.
Between next 5th– 8thdays.
From 9th day till the last day of campaign (the second day prior to date of poll)
(Illustration: If the last date for withdrawal is 10th of the month and poll is on 24th of the Month, the first block for publishing of declaration shall be done between 11th and 14th of the Month, second and third blocks shall be between 15th and 18th and 19th and 22nd of that Month, respectively.)
This requirement is in pursuance of the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition(C) No. 784 of 2015 (Lok Prahari Vs. Union of India & Others) and Writ Petition(Civil) No. 536 of 2011 (Public Interest Foundation & Ors. Vs. Union of India & Anr.).
This information will also be available on an App titled, ‘know your candidates’.
COVID RELATED ARRANGEMENT DURING BYE-ELECTION-
In view of overall improvement in the situation of COVID country wide and in view of withdrawal of restrictive measure under D M Act by NDMA/SDMA, it has been decided to follow the advisories issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India from time to time. During the process of bye election, there should be continued focus on the five-fold strategy, i.e. Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour. The District machinery should effectively monitor COVID situation and enforce the norms of COVID Appropriate Behaviour by prescribing requisite legal/administrative norms.
