ECI deploys Additional Counting Observers and Police Observers in West Bengal

Posted On: 02 MAY 2026 3:53PM by PIB Delhi Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed 165 Additional Counting Observers to assist Counting Observers and 77 Police Observers to strengthen security and oversee law & order arrangements around Counting Centres for the ongoing General Election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2026. The Additional Counting Observers and Police Observers have been deployed to ensure that the counting proceedings are conducted in a secure, peaceful, intimidation-free and transparent environment . These appointments have been made in exercise of the powers conferred upon ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. During this period, the Observers shall be deemed to be on deputation to the Commission and will function under its superintendence and control. Additional Counting Observers have been appointed to assist the Counting Observers for 165 Assembly Constituencies which have more than one Counting Hall. Police Observers will oversee the security and law and order arrangements around the Counting Centres of the ACs assigned to them and ensure that the security arrangements around the Counting Centres are as per the Commission’s instructions. However, the Police Observers shall not enter the Counting Hall on the day of counting of votes under any circumstance. The Police Observers will function in close coordination with the Counting Observers and other election machinery deployed for the counting process. Identity Cards for ROs, counting personnel, candidates and their agents shall be issued by the Returning Officer (RO) through a dedicated module in ECINet . Entry into the counting centers shall be strictly based on the QR code-based Photo ID issued through ECINET by the ROs for Counting personnel, candidates and their agents. It has also been directed that no person, except the Counting Observer and the Returning Officer, is permitted to carry a mobile phone inside the Counting Hall . Form 17C-II containing the results of the counting from the Control Units will be prepared by the Counting Supervisors in the presence of Counting Agents and will be shared with the Counting Agents for their signatures. This process will be repeated if the Counting Agents so desire. Micro-Observers deployed at each table will also independently note down the result from the CU display and handover to the Counting Observer at the end of each round for cross-verification. ********** PK/GDH/RP (Release ID: 2257485) Visitor Counter : 3099 Read this release in: Gujarati , Urdu , हिन्दी , Bengali , Bengali-TR , Tamil , Malayalam Election Commission ECI deploys Additional Counting Observers and Police Observers in West Bengal Posted On: 02 MAY 2026 3:53PM by PIB Delhi Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed 165 Additional Counting Observers to assist Counting Observers and 77 Police Observers to strengthen security and oversee law & order arrangements around Counting Centres for the ongoing General Election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2026. The Additional Counting Observers and Police Observers have been deployed to ensure that the counting proceedings are conducted in a secure, peaceful, intimidation-free and transparent environment . These appointments have been made in exercise of the powers conferred upon ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. During this period, the Observers shall be deemed to be on deputation to the Commission and will function under its superintendence and control. Additional Counting Observers have been appointed to assist the Counting Observers for 165 Assembly Constituencies which have more than one Counting Hall. Police Observers will oversee the security and law and order arrangements around the Counting Centres of the ACs assigned to them and ensure that the security arrangements around the Counting Centres are as per the Commission’s instructions. However, the Police Observers shall not enter the Counting Hall on the day of counting of votes under any circumstance. The Police Observers will function in close coordination with the Counting Observers and other election machinery deployed for the counting process. Identity Cards for ROs, counting personnel, candidates and their agents shall be issued by the Returning Officer (RO) through a dedicated module in ECINet . Entry into the counting centers shall be strictly based on the QR code-based Photo ID issued through ECINET by the ROs for Counting personnel, candidates and their agents. It has also been directed that no person, except the Counting Observer and the Returning Officer, is permitted to carry a mobile phone inside the Counting Hall . Form 17C-II containing the results of the counting from the Control Units will be prepared by the Counting Supervisors in the presence of Counting Agents and will be shared with the Counting Agents for their signatures. This process will be repeated if the Counting Agents so desire. Micro-Observers deployed at each table will also independently note down the result from the CU display and handover to the Counting Observer at the end of each round for cross-verification. ********** PK/GDH/RP (Release ID: 2257485) <span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed <strong>165 Additional Counting Observers </strong>to assist Counting Observers and <strong>77 Police Observers </strong>to strengthen security and oversee law &amp; order arrangements around Counting Centres for the ongoing General Election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2026.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">The Additional Counting Observers and Police Observers have been deployed to ensure that the counting proceedings are conducted in a <strong>secure, peaceful, intimidation-free and transparent environment</strong>.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">These appointments have been made in exercise of the powers conferred upon ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. During this period, the Observers shall be <strong>deemed to be on deputation to the Commission </strong>and will function under its superintendence and control.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Additional Counting Observers have been appointed to assist the Counting Observers for 165 Assembly Constituencies which have <strong>more than one Counting Hall.</strong></span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Police Observers will oversee the security and law and order arrangements around the Counting Centres of the ACs assigned to them and ensure that the security arrangements around the Counting Centres are as per the Commission’s instructions. However, the Police Observers <strong>shall not enter the Counting Hall on the day of counting of votes </strong>under any circumstance.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">The Police Observers will function in <strong>close coordination with the Counting Observers </strong>and other election machinery deployed for the counting process.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Identity Cards for ROs, counting personnel, candidates and their agents shall be issued by the Returning Officer (RO) through a <strong>dedicated module in ECINet</strong>.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Entry into the counting centers shall be strictly based on the <strong>QR code-based Photo ID </strong>issued through ECINET by the ROs for Counting personnel, candidates and their agents.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">It has also been directed that no person, except the Counting Observer and the Returning Officer, is permitted to carry a <strong>mobile phone inside the Counting Hall</strong>.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><strong>Form 17C-II </strong>containing the results of the counting from the Control Units will be prepared by the Counting Supervisors in the presence of <strong>Counting Agents </strong>and will be <strong>shared with the Counting Agents for their signatures. </strong>This process will be repeated if the Counting Agents so desire.</span></span></li> <li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><strong>Micro-Observers </strong>deployed at each table will also <strong>independently note down </strong>the result from the CU display and handover to the Counting Observer at the end of each round for cross-verification.</span></span></li> <p style="margin-left:25.05pt; margin-right:21.15pt; text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">**********</span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">PK/GDH/RP</span></span></strong></p> " /> var mPlayer = document.getElementById("background_music"); var mPlayAction = document.getElementById("playbutton"); var isPlaying = false; function playAudio() { mPlayer.play(); isPlaying = true; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "none"; } function pauseAudio() { mPlayer.pause(); isPlaying = false; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "none"; } //function HandleAudio() { // if (isPlaying == true) { // //Playing already Pause it // pauseAudio(); // } else { // //Play the music // playAudio(); // } //} var synth = window.speechSynthesis; 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} p img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } h2 { font-size: 20px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } h3 { font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } } /* === Film Roll Badge Styling(IFFI2025 countdown) === */ .film-roll-badge { position: absolute; top:82%; right: 20px; width: 230px; height: 70px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 18px, #6e2b8b 18px, #6e2b8b 36px ); border-top: 8px solid #9a2375; border-bottom: 8px solid #9a2375; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); animation: moveFilm 8s linear infinite; z-index: 10; } /* film sprocket holes */ .film-roll-badge::before, .film-roll-badge::after { content: ""; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 10px, #fff 10px, #fff 20px ); left: 0; z-index: 2; } .film-roll-badge::before { top: -4px; } .film-roll-badge::after { bottom: -4px; } .film-roll-inner { position: relative; height: 100%; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; animation: flicker 2s infinite ease-in-out; } .countdown-text { font-size: 1.3rem; font-weight: 700; color: #fff; text-shadow: 0 0 6px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 0 10px #000; white-space: nowrap; } /* === Animations === */ @keyframes moveFilm { 0% { background-position: 0 0; } 100% { background-position: 120px 0; } } @keyframes flicker { 0%, 100% { opacity: 1; } 50% { opacity: 0.9; } 25% { opacity: 0.95; } 75% { opacity: 0.85; } } /* === Responsive Adjustments === */ @media (max-width: 1500px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 68%; right: 18px; /* width: 220px; */ height: 65px; font-size: 0.85rem; } .press-section { margin-top: 35px; } } @media (max-width: 992px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 52%; right: 10px; width: 200px; height: 60px; } } @media (max-width: 768px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 56%; right: 10px; width: 124px; height: 55px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.9rem; } } @media (max-width: 576px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 59%; 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