Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) deployed 136 central observers for the general election to the Assam Legislative Assembly today. The breakdown of the 136 central observers is as follows: 51 general observers, 35 police observers, and 50 expenditure observers. On behalf of the ECI, these 136 observers will monitor the entire election procedure in the 126 Assembly constituencies in the state.
The ECI has instructed the observers to establish their presence in their respective Assembly Constituencies by March 18, 2026, according to a press statement. The observers, upon arrival, will make public their contact details and will specify a fixed time every day for meeting the candidates, political parties or their representatives or any member of the public to hear their election-related grievances.
The commission appoints central observers under the powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to assist the commission in the conduct of free-and-fair polls. They also oversee the efficient and effective management of the electoral process at the field level.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar, while announcing the schedule for the general elections, had asserted that the elections be conducted in a violence-free and inducement-free manner so that each elector can cast his/her vote without fear or favour. Accordingly, the observers will function as the eyes and ears of the commission in ensuring this objective is met.
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