The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed a total of 1,111 observers for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as well as bye-elections in six states.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed a total of 1,111 observers for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as well as bye-elections in six states, with West Bengal receiving the maximum number.
West Bengal has been assigned one Observer General for each of its 294 constituencies along with 84 Police Observers and 100 Expenditure Observers. 136 General Observers, 40 Police Observers and 151 Expenditure Observers have been allotted to Tamil Nadu. The corresponding numbers for Assam are 51, 35 and 50 and for Kerala are 51, 17 and 40. For Puducherry the numbers are 17, 4 and 17.
The commission directed that the observers be deployed in their respective constituencies by Wednesday (March 18, 2026).
Upon arrival, the observers will post their contact details and specify a fixed time each day to meet the candidates, political parties or their representatives or any member of the public to hear their election-related grievances, the ECI said in a statement.
The Election Commission appoints Central Observers under the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to assist the ECI in conducting free and fair polls. They oversee the management of the electoral process at the field level.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while announcing the schedule for the March 15 polls, said polls would be conducted without violence and incitement so that every voter could cast his vote without fear or favour.
Published – 17 March 2026 20:25 IST
