The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed more than 25 lakh election personnel to ensure smooth, peaceful, and inducement-free polls in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six other states, the Commission said on Wednesday.
The deployment comes ahead of the Assembly elections in the five states and Union Territory, following the schedule announced on March 15, 2026. According to the ECI, more than 17.4 crore voters are eligible to vote, which works out to roughly one election official for every 70 electors.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that all personnel have been directed to maintain complete neutrality, ensuring that voters can cast their votes without fear or favour.
The large-scale deployment includes 15 lakh polling personnel to manage voting at polling stations, 8.5 lakh security personnel to maintain law and order, and 40,000 counting personnel for vote counting. Additionally, 49,000 micro observers and 21,000 sector officers have been assigned to monitor polling, along with 15,000 micro observers for counting duties.
More than 2.18 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have also been deployed and will be accessible to voters via phone and through the Book-a-Call feature on the ECINet app.
Voters can contact the Election Commission call centre at 1950 (with STD code) to register complaints or seek assistance from the District Election Officer or Returning Officer.
As per Section 28A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, all deployed personnel will be treated as being on deputation to the Election Commission during the election period.
In addition, 1,111 Central Observers have been appointed across 832 Assembly constituencies. This includes 557 General Observers, 188 Police Observers, and 366 Expenditure Observers. Most of them have already reached their assigned constituencies and will oversee the election process, interact with candidates and political parties, and address grievances from the public at designated times each day.
