The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it clear that preventing a repeat of the violent memories associated with the 2021 Assembly elections in Bengal is its top priority ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls. During the second day of its visit to Kolkata on Tuesday, the Commission emphasised that ensuring violence-free and fear-free voting will be its biggest challenge.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar warned that strict action would be taken against administrative officials if negligence is found in maintaining law and order during the polls. He said that District Magistrates and police officers could face not only transfers but also departmental investigations or departmental proceedings if they fail to perform their duties properly.
Earlier, during a meeting with political parties on Monday, representatives from the CPI(M) and the BJP jointly demanded that the elections be conducted in fewer phases. Responding to the request, Kumar said the parties had given their suggestions regarding the number of phases. He added that the final decision would be taken only after reviewing the law-and-order situation in West Bengal once the Commission returns to Delhi.
The Commission’s stance indicates that it does not want to leave any gap in security arrangements at polling booths and sensitive areas, especially in view of concerns about possible unrest.
During his interaction with administrative officials, Kumar adopted a firm tone, making it clear that allegations of voter intimidation or post-poll violence would not be tolerated. Addressing District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police and Commissioners, he warned that any officer who fails to follow the Commission’s instructions could be removed from election duty and face strict legal as well as departmental action.
To enhance transparency and strengthen the electoral process, the Election Commission has also announced several new measures. These include live digital surveillance through webcasting in every polling booth and restrictions on voters carrying mobile phones inside the booths, requiring them to leave their devices outside before entering. The Commission is also planning to introduce coloured Electronic Voting Machines with candidate photographs to minimise confusion among voters. In addition, candidates will be given the opportunity to request testing of EVMs within seven days if any doubts arise regarding the machines.
Appealing to the people of West Bengal, Kumar expressed hope that the upcoming elections would be free from both pre-poll and post-poll violence. He also said that voter assistance centres will be set up in all polling booths to help citizens during the voting process.
With these steps, the Commission aims to correct the shortcomings seen during the 2021 assembly elections and ensure that the 2026 polls in West Bengal are conducted smoothly and peacefully.
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