Tamil Nadu Assembly election: Collector emphasises strict adherence to poll code in Erode district

District Election Officer and Collector S. Kandasamy on Monday (March 16, 2026) instructed stakeholders to strictly adhere to the Election Commission’s guidelines, and emphasised that any bulk distribution of gifts, suspicious financial transactions, printing of objectionable material, or unusual bulk purchases, particularly in jewellery shops, must be reported to election authorities without delay.

Chairing a meeting with owners of marriage halls, lodges, printing presses and jewellery shops at the Collectorate on the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the forthcoming Assembly elections, he said the focus was on ensuring free, fair and transparent conduct of elections in the district.

He issued specific instructions to lodge and marriage hall owners, including restrictions on accommodating suspicious outsiders from 48 hours before polling until the completion of counting. Proper maintenance of guest records and prior permission for events were made mandatory. The use of premises for distributing freebies or food items in violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, was prohibited.

Printing press owners were directed to ensure that all printed material carried the printer’s details and the number of copies, and to refrain from printing content that incited violence or defamed individuals. They were also instructed to maintain records and obtain necessary approvals before printing election-related material.

Jewellery shop owners were cautioned against supplying bulk quantities of small items and asked to report such requests immediately. Violations would invite action under the relevant provisions of the law, officials said. The Collector said annadhanam in places of worship would be permitted only with prior approval and subject to strict monitoring, and should not involve any political activity.

District Revenue Officer S. Santhakumar, Personal Assistants to the Collector Thenmozhi (General) and Maheswari (Elections), Tahsildar (Elections) Shanmugasundaram, and other officials took part in the meeting.

The Collector also inspected the media certification and monitoring committee established at the Collectorate.