2026 Assembly elections set a new trend: Four big shifts in ECI template

New Delhi: The latest round of assembly elections has not only triggered tectonic political shifts from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, but also marked a significant departure in the way ECI conducted elections.

Beyond SIR, the 2026 polls stand out on several counts. Here's a list:

UNNOTICED


Only one show-cause notice was issued - to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. In 2021, ECI issued many notices over hate speech and derogatory remarks - to Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari, A Raja and others.

The poll body has traditionally refrained from issuing notices to national party chiefs, making this instance unusual. The last such incident happened in 2015 when the then BJP chief Amit Shah was served a notice.

MISSING THE CODE

Much of this shift appears linked to ECI's new approach to the model code of conduct. In the 2026 poll cycle, MCC - intended to ensure a 'level playing field' - was largely absent from public discourse. Unlike previous elections, where ECI maintained strong visibility through MCC enforcement, advisories and compliance measures, this cycle saw a relatively low-profile approach. The number of complaints submitted by political parties to Nirvachan Sadan was also significantly lower compared to past elections, when ECI regularly dealt with multiple grievances. There is also a view in ECI that MCC format needs to be strengthened for any efficacy. In contrast, ECI landed in a controversy this time around during an interaction with a Trinamool delegation.

STATE VERSUS ECI

SIR, which began in Bihar in June 2025, had already indicated a shift on what lay ahead - a new system of purging rolls introduced by ECI just days ahead of elections. This escalated into a major controversy when three state governments - led by DMK, LDF and Trinamool in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal, respectively - moved the Supreme Court against ECI right in the middle of the election cycle. The situation was particularly stark in West Bengal, where a staggering 27 lakh voters were declared "ineligible" and left awaiting tribunal hearings under SC monitoring on the eve of polls. Less than 2,000 electors returned to the rolls, leaving lakhs disenfranchised.

PHASE OF SECURITY

Bengal and Assam returned to two-phase and single-phase polling, respectively, a trend common until the late 1980s and early 1990s. The shift was dramatic in Bengal, where polls have been held in multiple phases since 2001. A massive security apparatus - 2,500 companies - was deployed to facilitate this.