EC orders civic volunteers, village police to be moved to reserve line ahead of polling

With only three days remaining for polling, the Election Commission of India has issued a strict directive aimed at ensuring neutrality and preventing any influence on voters during the upcoming Assembly elections. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer has instructed district administrations to follow revised guidelines concerning civic volunteers, village police, and green police personnel.

According to the order, all such personnel must be moved to the “reserve line” three days before voting begins and cannot be deployed for any election-related duties thereafter. The directive, issued by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, makes it clear that these groups will not be part of polling arrangements under any circumstances. Even if assigned to special duties, they must not wear uniforms on polling day and are required to be in plain clothes.

The Commission has emphasized that the purpose of this move is to maintain strict neutrality and prevent any perception of bias or voter influence. Officials believe that the presence of uniformed personnel linked to local administrative structures could lead to allegations of partisan behaviour. The directive also reiterates that while these personnel are barred from election duties, they will still be allowed to vote in plain clothes on polling day.

Opposition parties have long raised concerns over the use of civic volunteers in election-related work, alleging political misuse. The latest order has therefore triggered fresh political discussions, with the Commission reinforcing that any violation of these instructions will invite strict action. A formal communication has been sent to senior police officials and district administrations to ensure compliance across all constituencies.