Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. | Photo credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
All the members of the Election Commission of India, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, are likely to arrive in West Bengal on March 8, where surveys will be conducted to assess the situation on the ground before announcing the assembly election dates.
Commission members will hold meetings March 9 and 10 with state election officials and law enforcement officials, such as senior police officials and district judges. It will focus on logistical arrangements, security deployment and administrative preparedness for the elections.
They are also likely to meet all recognized political parties that are planning to contest the upcoming State Assembly elections.
CCTV outside polling stations
The commission consists of the CEC and two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti will also be part of the delegation to West Bengal.
The scouts will also identify vulnerable and high tension areas and deploy additional forces to ensure a smooth and transparent election process in the state. According to sources, the ECI is also considering installing CCTV cameras outside the polling booths, along with the cameras already inside the booths, to facilitate immediate action in case of any untoward situations.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal along with other state election and law enforcement officials had already held a virtual meeting with ECI officials in Delhi on March 2 and 3. According to sources in the director general’s office, one of the key issues discussed in this meeting was to ensure that all polling stations have uninterrupted power supply and stable internet connection during election days.
Central forces begin marches
State elections are likely to be held sometime in April, although exact dates and the number of election phases have yet to be announced.
Central security forces began marches in Kolkata on Wednesday (March 4). So far, 240 companies of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic have arrived in the country, and another 240 companies will arrive by March 10.
The city of Calcutta alone will get 30 companies of the Central Force, the highest in the state. On Wednesday, marches were seen in Girish Park, Muchipara and Taltala in north and central Kolkata and Rashbihari and other areas in south Kolkata.
Published – 04 March 2026 21:20 IST
