Overview
- The Election Commission sent a letter to chief secretaries and chief electoral officers on Monday that extends Model Code of Conduct restrictions to retired, attached, engaged or re‑employed state officials in five states with 2027 assembly polls.
- The directive explicitly bars those officials from summoning any election‑related officer of a constituency or district for meetings, official discussions or video conferences.
- The commission warned that any act of omission or commission contrary to the directions will be taken seriously, signaling stricter enforcement during the MCC period.
- The move builds on long‑standing ECI rules from 1984 and 1991 and clarifications issued in 2019 and 2022, responding to repeated complaints that re‑engaged retirees retained undue influence in election cycles.
- The order accompanies transfer cut‑offs and other pre‑poll administrative steps for Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and could prompt states to balance governance needs with tighter neutrality checks.