Election Commission today held a review meeting with the Chief Secretaries, CEOs, DGPs, and senior officers of the 5 poll-bound and their twelve bordering states and UTs to assess readiness, enhance coordination, and ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. S.S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, reviewed the poll preparedness and law-and-order situation in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with six states where bye-elections are scheduled. They also inspected seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms, interstate checkpoints and expenditure-sensitive constituencies for the upcoming General Election. During the meeting, Poll-going states briefed the Commission about their overall preparation, law and order issues, expenditure enforcement and any concerns or pending issues with central agencies and neighbouring states. Special focus was placed on bordering districts and the sealing of borders to maintain peace and order in the poll-going states and UTs.

In this regard, the neighbouring border states were directed to take all possible steps to aid the poll-going states and UTs to ensure an inducement-free and violence-free election. Heads of agencies, including the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the Enforcement Directorate, the Indian Coast Guard, the Assam Rifles and others, were instructed to ensure enhanced checks at interstate check posts and heightened vigilance in poll-going states and in areas bordering these states and UTs. In addition, central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, Income Tax Department, Central Goods and Services Tax and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, were also directed to intensify efforts in the run-up to the polls.