ECI Orders Officer Transfers in Punjab Ahead of 2027 Assembly Polls, Reports Due by November 30ਚੋਣ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਤਬਾਦਲਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, directed the governments of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand to transfer officers connected with the conduct of elections ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. In identical letters to the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of the five states, the Commission said officers directly connected with elections must not be posted in their home districts or in places where they have served for a considerable period, IANS reported.

Who has to move?

The order covers officers who are in their home district, who have completed three years in a district during the last four years, or who will complete three years by the cut-off date: March 31, 2027 for Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand, and May 31, 2027 for Uttar Pradesh. Promotions to a higher post in the same district count towards the three years, while service at state headquarters does not. The categories covered include District Election Officers, Returning Officers and their assistants, Electoral Registration Officers, Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, tehsildars and Block Development Officers, along with divisional and municipal commissioners and officers of the excise and transport departments.

Police officers are covered too

For the police, the instructions apply to officers from Range Additional Directors General and Inspectors General down to Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors who are responsible for security arrangements and deployment at election time. Officers covered by the directive cannot be posted back to a district or constituency where they served during the previous Assembly election or a later by-election. The Commission directed that transferred officers hand over charge immediately, without waiting for a substitute to arrive.

Deadline and Punjab's election clock

Compliance reports, with details from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, must be furnished by November 30, 2026. The ECI noted the terms of the current Assemblies: Punjab's ends on March 16, 2027, Manipur's on March 13, Goa's on March 14, Uttarakhand's on March 28 and Uttar Pradesh's on May 22, 2027. The transfer order is a standard fairness measure the Commission applies before major elections so that local administrative machinery cannot influence the vote.

EVM checks from November 12 in Punjab

On the same day, a delegation of Senior Deputy Election Commissioners and other ECI officials reviewed Punjab's poll preparedness with the state's Chief Electoral Officer in Chandigarh, IANS reported in a separate dispatch. A First Level Checking workshop trained officials on EVM and VVPAT procedures, and the CEO said district-level checking of machines will begin on November 12, under daily monitoring by District Election Officers, with engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited giving hands-on training. A follow-up meeting with central and state enforcement agencies discussed coordination for a smooth and transparent process.

What has the Election Commission ordered in Punjab?

The transfer of election-related officers posted in their home districts or completing three years in one district, ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.

By when must Punjab report compliance?

By November 30, 2026, through reports from the Chief Secretary and the DGP.

When does the Punjab Assembly's term end?

On March 16, 2027, according to the Election Commission's letter.