ECI Issues Strict Model Code Directions for 2026 Assembly Elections, Deploys 5,000+ Flying Squads
The Election Commission of India announced strict enforcement directions for the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the 2026 Assembly elections in five states and one Union Territory: Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, and Bihar (bye-elections in additional states).
Over 5,173 flying squads and 5,200+ static surveillance teams were deployed across the poll-bound states/UT, with a mandate to respond to MCC complaints within 100 minutes.
Key MCC directions emphasised: no demonstrations or picketing outside private residences, prohibition on using land/buildings/walls for campaign material without owner consent, strict bar on combining official duties with electioneering, and equal access for all parties to government infrastructure.
Model Code of Conduct: Nature, Legal Basis, and Key Provisions
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is a set of guidelines developed by the Election Commission of India over successive elections since 1960 (first applied in Kerala state elections). It comes into force from the date of the announcement of the election schedule and ceases on the date of declaration of results. The MCC is not a statutory instrument — it has no independent legislative backing — but derives its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution (ECI's plenary power to superintend elections) and specific enforceable provisions overlap with Section 144 CrPC, the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 77 and 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The ECI's 2026 MCC notification specifically highlighted the privacy and property rights provisions — no picketing outside private residences, no use of property without consent — enforcing long-standing MCC principles with tightened flying squad response times.
Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams: Enforcement Architecture
Flying Squads are mobile enforcement teams constituted at the district level under the authority of the District Election Officer (DEO) and Returning Officer (RO). They are empowered to check vehicles, respond to complaints of cash distribution, liquor distribution, or intimidation, and seize material used for MCC violations. Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) are deployed at fixed points — typically border check-posts and key entry/exit routes — to intercept inducements and campaign materials being transported across constituency lines.
Key Details
- C-Vigil App: Citizens can report MCC violations via geo-tagged photographs/videos; complaints are routed to the nearest flying squad within 100 minutes.
- National helpline 1950: Centralised grievance registration for MCC complaints.
- ECINET: The ECI's internal digital platform for real-time tracking of squad deployment and complaint resolution.
- Video Surveillance Teams (VSTs) monitor candidates' expenditure and campaign activities; linked to the expenditure monitoring system under Section 77, Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- Seizures in the 2024 General Election cycle: Over ₹4,650 crore in cash, liquor, freebies seized — highest ever.
The deployment of 5,173+ flying squads with a 100-minute response mandate represents a strengthening of the enforcement architecture. The ₹42.65 crore seized within days of MCC imposition in the 2026 elections signals active deployment.
Representation of the People Act, 1951: Key Election-Related Offences
The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA) is the principal statute governing election conduct, candidate eligibility, campaign finance, and electoral offences in India. Several of its provisions provide the statutory backbone for MCC enforcement.
The ECI's strict MCC directions reinforce the RPA framework — flying squads seize materials that constitute "corrupt practices" under Section 123, and seizures feed into expenditure monitoring under Section 77.
- States/UTs where 2026 Assembly elections were announced (March 15, 2026): Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry (UT).
- Flying Squads deployed: 5,173+; Static Surveillance Teams: 5,200+; Video Surveillance Teams also deployed.
- Helpline: 1950; Mobile app: C-Vigil; Platform: ECINET.
- MCC complaint response mandate: within 100 minutes.
- First ₹42.65 crore seized in the days immediately after MCC imposition in the 2026 cycle.
- MCC has been in existence since 1960 (first applied in Kerala); uniformly applied across all states since 1979.
- The ECI also directed simultaneous transfer of biased or "election-vulnerable" officials under Article 324(6) read with IPS (Cadre) Rules, 1954.