New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday encouraged voters to use the ECINET platform to access information about candidates’ educational qualifications and criminal antecedents for the upcoming Assembly Elections and by-elections in 2026.
In a press release, the ECI highlighted the importance of informed voting and stated that citizens can easily obtain key details about candidates through the “Know Your Candidates” module available on ECINET.
The Commission noted that it had announced the schedule for the elections to the Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections to eight Assembly constituencies across Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura on March 15.
According to the ECI, a total of 1,955 candidates are in the fray for elections to the Assemblies of Assam and Kerala, the Union Territory of Puducherry, and by-elections in four states scheduled for April 9.
The poll body further stated that the filing of nominations for the Assembly elections in West Bengal (Phase I and II) and Tamil Nadu has begun. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 9 for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase I), and April 13 for West Bengal (Phase II).
Voters can use the Know Your Candidates module under the ‘Conduct of Elections’ tab on ECINET to access detailed information, including candidates’ criminal cases, assets and liabilities, educational qualifications, and their verified social media handles. The platform also allows users to download the complete affidavit (Form 26) submitted by candidates.
Describing ECINET as the world’s largest electoral service platform, the ECI said it integrates over 40 applications and portals to provide a seamless experience for voters in the world’s largest democracy.
The platform offers a wide range of services, including voter registration, electoral roll search, application tracking, communication with election officials, booking calls with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), e-EPIC downloads, polling trends, and grievance redressal.
Additionally, ECINET provides a single-window system for real-time information access and complaint resolution. It also includes tools such as cVIGIL for reporting violations and Saksham to ensure accessible electoral services for persons with disabilities, the Commission added.
(IANS)
