Overview
- The Election Commission rejected West Bengal’s request to exempt 25 IAS and IPS officers, including Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, and ordered them to join the February 5–6 briefing in New Delhi.
- A total of 1,444 Central Observers—714 general, 233 police and 497 expenditure—were briefed at IIIDEM on roles, legal compliance, grievance handling and on-ground accessibility.
- CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi instructed observers to ensure impartial enforcement, early distribution of Voter Information Slips and monitoring of Assured Minimum Facilities.
- The EC warned that failure to attend the sessions would be taken seriously and could invite disciplinary proceedings.
- Tensions in West Bengal persist over the rare inclusion of the state’s home secretary as an external observer, while the EC plans full-bench visits after February 15 and the poll schedule is expected in March.