2,206 Candidates Remain After Scrutiny: ECI
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported seizures of illicit inducements worth over Rs. 400 crore till the completion of scrutiny of nominations on March 26, 2026, as the poll process advances for Assembly elections in five states and one Union Territory, along with bye-elections in six states, following the announcement of schedules on March 15, 2026.
The elections are being held for the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states. The Commission has directed State and Union Territory governments to ensure strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). In a review meeting held on March 24, 2026, with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), Directors General of Police (DGPs), senior officials from the five poll-bound states and Union Territory, their 12 adjoining states and Union Territories, and heads of enforcement agencies, the Commission assessed preparedness, enhanced coordination, and reiterated the need to ensure elections that are violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free.
To enforce these measures, over 5,173 flying squads have been deployed across the poll-bound states and Union Territories to ensure that complaints are attended to within 100 minutes, while more than 5,200 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have been deployed to set up surprise Nakas at different locations. The Commission stated that enforcement authorities should ensure that ordinary citizens are not inconvenienced or harassed during checking and inspection, and that District Grievance Committees have been set up to address any grievances in this regard.
Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, 2026, seizures amounting to Rs. 408.82 crore have been recorded up to March 25, 2026, through a coordinated approach involving multi-enforcement agencies across States and Union Territories. These include Rs. 17.44 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs. 37.68 crore involving approximately 16.3 lakh litres, drugs valued at Rs. 167.38 crore, precious metals worth Rs. 23 crore, and other inducements classified as freebies worth over Rs. 163.30 crore.
The Commission also reported extensive use of its C-Vigil Module on ECINET for reporting violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Between March 15 and March 25, a total of 70,944 complaints were received from the poll-bound states and Union Territories, of which 70,831 were disposed of. Of these, 67,899 complaints, or 95.8 per cent, were resolved within 100 minutes. In addition, a complaint redressal mechanism has been established through a call centre with helpline number 1950, enabling members of the public and political parties to lodge complaints with the concerned District Election Officers (DEOs) and Returning Officers (ROs).
Meanwhile, scrutiny of nomination papers, taken up by the Returning Officers (ROs) on March 24, has been completed on March 26, 2026, for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, as well as for bye-elections in four states scheduled to go to polls on April 9, 2026. The last date for filing nominations for these elections was March 23, 2026. The scrutiny process was conducted by the ROs in the presence of candidates or their authorised agents, and the entire process was video-graphed to ensure utmost transparency.
Following scrutiny, a total of 2,140 candidates remain in the fray for 296 Assembly constituencies across Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, including 789 candidates in 126 constituencies in Assam, 985 candidates in 140 constituencies in Kerala, and 366 candidates in 30 constituencies in Puducherry. In the bye-elections to five Assembly constituencies in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura, 66 candidates remain in the fray, including 3 in Goa, 50 in Karnataka, 7 in Nagaland and 6 in Tripura.
In accordance with Commission instructions, Returning Officers have drawn up lists of validly nominated candidates and displayed them with the photographs of the candidates against their names on notice boards to ensure transparency. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is March 26, 2026, by 3:00 PM.
– global bihari bureau
