ECI pushes fear-free voting as Assam gears up for April 9 polls
The Election Commission of India has called on Assam voters to cast their votes fearlessly in the April 9 assembly elections. It has assured full safety measures and urged peaceful participation to uphold democracy
- Mar 26, 2026,
- Updated Mar 26, 2026, 8:48 AM IST
With Assam set to vote on April 9, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has stepped up preparations, holding an online review and training session with senior officials across the state to assess readiness.
The meeting brought together District Election Officers (DEOs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), senior police officials and other key administrators to examine law and order arrangements and polling logistics. The exercise follows Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s earlier review of the state, where he had stressed that elections must be “violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free” so that voters can participate “without fear or favour in a festive atmosphere”.
According to the ECI, officials conducted a detailed assessment of district-level planning, including the availability of assured minimum facilities at polling stations, EVM management, deployment of personnel, seizure actions and voter awareness campaigns. Law and order preparedness was also reviewed in detail.
Clear instructions were issued to ensure transparency in the polling process. Presiding Officers have been told to provide signed copies of Form 17C — the account of votes recorded — to polling agents at the close of voting. They have also been directed to upload voter turnout data on the ECINET app every two hours and at the end of polling.
The Commission asked DEOs to ensure that Voter Information Slips reach electors at least five days before polling day, along with voter guides for every household. Special arrangements, including Braille-enabled slips, will be made for visually impaired voters.
Officials were further directed to process campaign-related permissions submitted through the Suvidha module within 24 hours on a “first come first serve” basis, maintaining complete impartiality.
Given Assam’s terrain, particular focus was placed on safety measures at riverine polling stations, with instructions to ensure adequate rescue and emergency arrangements.
Polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.