The Election Commission of India (ECI) has intensified its crackdown on illicit inducements ahead of the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The poll panel had announced the election schedule on March 15, 2026, and directed all states and Union Territories to strictly enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). To ensure free and fair polls, the Commission held multiple review meetings with Chief Secretaries, Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), Directors General of Police (DGPs), and senior officials from poll-bound and neighbouring states, as well as heads of enforcement agencies.