Overview
- State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha held a high-level review with the chief secretary and the DGP on Monday to press district officials to ensure peaceful and impartial local body elections.
- The director general of police said preventive steps have been taken and that security in sensitive and very sensitive areas will be reviewed with additional police forces deployed where needed.
- The SEC directed officials to enable candidates to file nominations freely and to ensure voters can vote without fear while ordering strict legal action against those who violate election rules.
- Punetha also led a video conference with district collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and election observers to stress continuous field-level monitoring, inter-department coordination and strict enforcement of the election code of conduct.
- The State Election Commission confirmed the calendar for voting with urban local body polls set for October 28, MPTC and ZPTC polls on November 3, and gram panchayat voting in three phases on November 26, November 29 and December 2, a schedule that officials say drives the urgency of security preparations.