Election Commission Team Visits Poll-Bound Assam, Holds Key Meetings

A team of the Election Commission (EC), headed by poll body chief Gyanesh Kumar, arrived in Assam on February 16 for a three-day visit to assess preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The delegation also includes Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. 

Officials said the EC will hold meetings with representatives of various political parties, senior election authorities, police officials and state regulatory agencies. The poll body is expected to hold detailed review meetings on key aspects such as voter list revision, law and order preparedness, deployment of security forces, polling infrastructure, and the use of technology to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

The team will also review the status of ongoing electoral reforms, including measures to enhance voter participation, curb the influence of money and muscle power, and strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms.

Special focus is also expected on sensitive and vulnerable polling areas, given Assam's diverse geography and demographic composition.

The Commission is likely to review preparedness related to remote and riverine polling stations, especially in flood-prone and border areas, to ensure the smooth conduct of elections.

Discussions on the training of polling personnel and the availability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPATs are also on the agenda.

In meetings with representatives of political parties, the EC aims at addressing concerns raised by political stakeholders and ensuring a level playing field for all parties during the electoral process.

Kumar, along with the two Election Commissioners, will address the media on Wednesday, the concluding day of the visit.

The 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly is likely to go to polls around March or April, as the term of the current Assembly is set to end on May 20.

Earlier this month, the EC published the final voter list for Special Revision 2026 for 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam, with over 2.49 crore voters. The total number of voters in the draft voter list was 2,52,01,624, which has now decreased by 2,43,485 to 2,49,58,139 voters in the final voter list.