Gyanesh trip, then dates: EC to visit Bengal on March 9-10 for review before polls
Telegraph | 3 March 2026
The full bench of the Election Commission of India, led by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, is set to visit Bengal on March 9 and 10 to review the state’s preparedness to conduct the Assembly polls after the contentious special intensive revision (SIR).
After the visit, the poll panel's announcement of the elections for Bengal — besides Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry — is likely.
The two-day visit, expected to culminate in a comprehensive review meeting on March 10, will focus on administrative readiness, security deployment and logistical arrangements.
Sources indicated that in the first phase of interactions, the EC will hold meetings with officials directly involved in the electoral process at various levels. These include the chief electoral officer, district election officers, senior state police officers such as the director-general of state police, various police commissioners, district police chiefs, and representatives of central security agencies.
The EC is also likely to meet all the recognised political parties.
Overview meeting
On Monday, deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti held a virtual review meeting to assess Bengal’s election preparedness. In Calcutta, Bengal's chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal, senior EC officials and senior police officers attended the meeting held at Agarwal's office.
According to sources present, Bharti issued stringent instructions regarding the deployment and utilisation of central forces during the polls.
During the review, the EC issued a series of directives aimed at ensuring a smooth, transparent and technology-driven polling process.
One of the key instructions was to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power at every polling station.
Officials underlined that “no polling booth should remain in darkness under any circumstances”.
Simultaneously, stable Internet connectivity at all police stations has been made mandatory to facilitate real-time monitoring of the poll process.
Webcasting has been made compulsory at all polling booths. In areas where webcasting is technically unfeasible due to poor logistics, officials have been instructed to arrange videography to maintain surveillance standards.
All vehicles deployed by central forces for area domination and patrolling will be fitted with GPS tracking systems to enable real-time monitoring of their movement.
CEO office sources termed these measures “crucial to address concerns related to transparency and credibility during the polling process".
The EC also stressed close coordination among district magistrates, superintendents of police and police commissioners to ensure timely and effective deployment of central forces.
Another significant aspect reviewed was identifying sensitive and vulnerable polling stations. Based on past reports and prevailing local conditions, such booths will be identified in advance to deploy additional security arrangements wherever needed.
The EC made it clear that it “intends to leave no room for administrative lapses ahead of the polls”.