New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) organized a high-level review meeting with senior officials from states preparing for elections and their neighboring areas. This initiative aims to enhance coordination and ensure that elections are conducted in a free, fair, and peaceful manner.

An official statement revealed that the meeting included Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), Directors General of Police (DGPs), and other key officials from five states and 12 adjacent regions, alongside leaders from vital enforcement agencies.

The Commission assessed overall readiness, law enforcement strategies, and measures to mitigate electoral misconduct, urging all parties to guarantee that the polls are free from violence, intimidation, and inducements.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reviewed the electoral preparedness across the states.

The review meeting delved into critical topics such as maintaining law and order, seizures of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, and arms, deployment strategies at inter-state checkpoints, and identifying expenditure-sensitive constituencies ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and bypolls in six states.

Officials from the states gearing up for elections updated the Commission regarding their preparations, enforcement actions, and any coordination challenges with central agencies and neighboring states.

Special focus was placed on enhanced vigilance in border districts, including the sealing of inter-state borders to hinder the flow of illicit inducements and maintain public order.

Neighboring states were instructed to provide complete support to the poll-bound regions to ensure seamless enforcement and prevent cross-border violations.

The ECI also directed central enforcement and security agencies—including the Income Tax Department, GST authorities, Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and various paramilitary forces—to increase surveillance and intensify coordinated operations, particularly at inter-state checkpoints.

The Commission stressed the importance of acting promptly on actionable intelligence and maximizing the seizure of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, and other inducements as polling approaches.

According to the schedule, elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry are set for April 9, while Tamil Nadu will cast votes on April 23. West Bengal will hold elections in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.