Guwahati: The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a series of high-level meetings in Guwahati on Wednesday to review poll preparedness ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. S.S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, Senior Deputy Election Commissioners Maneesh Garg and Dr. Pawan Kumar Sharma, Director General Ashish Goyal, Advisor N.N. Butolia, Director Bidyarani Konthoujam and other officials convened at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the city for discussions with multiple departments and agencies.
In the morning, the Commission met with the Heads and Nodal officers of the enforcement agencies including Income tax, Narcotics, and Excise, to ensure coordination and compliance during the election period.
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In the afternoon, a review meeting was held with the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, State Police Nodal Officer and Central Armed Police Forces. Another meeting was also held with the Chief Secretary of Assam, the Director General of Police and other senior state officials.
The Commission also interacted with nearly 100 booth level officers (BLOs) and state SVEEP icon Rakesh Banik. During the visit, CEC Gyanesh Kumar distributed Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to two new voters.
The series of meetings concluded with a press conference addressing election preparedness and measures to ensure free and fair polls.
It may be noted that, the ECI delegation arrived in Assam on February 16 for a two-day visit to take stock and coordinate with state authorities on various issues related to the upcoming assembly elections.
On Tuesday, several political parties in Assam urged the ECI to conduct the upcoming Assembly elections in either a single phase or a maximum of two phases. The request was presented to the full bench of ECI during separate meetings with national and regional parties held in Guwahati on Tuesday as part of its readiness for the state polls. Parties also urged the Commission to refrain from scheduling the elections during Bohag Bihu, which is one of Assam’s most important festivals.
