The Election Commission has deployed 294 general observers, one for each of the 294 Assembly segments in Bengal — the highest in the state in an election and also the highest in the country in recent memory — making it clear that it would monitor the 2026 state elections very closely.

A general observer is an IAS officer from another state. General observers play an important role in the “efficient and effective” management of the electoral process on the ground level.

“It is unprecedented that one general observer is deployed for one Assembly segment. Usually, one general observer looks after multiple Assembly segments. It is evident that the poll panel is giving utmost importance to the Bengal polls,” said a senior bureaucrat.

In contrast, the figure is much lower in the other poll-bound states Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Union territory Puducherry. For Assam, the EC has posted 51 general observers for 126 Assembly segments. For the 140-seat Assembly in Kerala, the poll panel has deployed 51 general observers. Tamil Nadu will have 136 general observers for 234 seats. In Puducherry, 17 general observers have been appointed for 30 Assembly seats.

Commenting on the heavy deployment of general observers, a retired bureaucrat who has worked with the EC said: “In the 2021 Assembly polls, the EC had deployed 160 general observers. But this year’s deployment is unprecedented.”

A source in the poll panel outlined the functions of the general observers. “They are the EC’s eyes and ears and are expected to play a neutral role in holding free and fair polls. They report guideline violations by political parties, candidates and EC officers. They have the authority to hold back counting of votes in case violations are found,” he said.

The EC has already made it clear that it would order repolling in a booth if there was any doubt over the proceedings during the polls.

“It is now clear these were not hollow words. The way the EC has deployed general observers in Bengal, it appears that it has taken holding the polls transparently and peacefully in Bengal as a prestige fight,” said an official.

A Nabanna official said that most general observers sent to Bengal were from five states — Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

“Most observers are from these five BJP-ruled states, though there are IAS officers (deputed as observers) from other states too,” he said.

In another new development, the EC has asked all general observers to reach the state by Wednesday and specify a fixed time every day to meet candidates, political parties and the general public to hear their election-related grievances.

“This is also something new. In the past, general observers used to visit the state when nomination of candidates started and stayed till the completion of the nomination process. Again, observers used to visit the state four-five days before the polling date, and stayed till poll results were declared,” said an IAS officer, who has worked as a general observer in different states thrice.

Not only general observers, the EC has also significantly increased the number of police observers in the state. In 2021, the state had 37 police observers, and this year, the number has increased to 84.

The EC has also increased the number of expenditure observers for Bengal, taking the figure to 100 from 80 in 2021. “However, Tamil Nadu has 151 expenditure observers, more than Bengal’s 100. Complaints of financial irregularities during the polls remain a common feature in Tamil Nadu,” said a source.