The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced the immediate withdrawal of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) following the completion of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry, after the formal declaration of results by Returning Officers in the respective states.
In an official communication issued on May 7, the Commission stated that the MCC, which had come into force with the announcement of the election schedule, “ceased to be in operation with immediate effect” in all the poll-bound regions, with the exception of West Bengal’s 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, where a fresh election has been ordered.
The directive was sent to the Cabinet Secretary, Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of the concerned states and Union Territory, formally signalling the end of election-related restrictions that had governed administrative and policy decisions during the campaign period.
The ECI clarified that the Model Code would continue to remain operational only in the Falta constituency until the completion of the re-poll process there. The reasons for the fresh election have not yet been detailed in the latest communication.
With the lifting of the MCC, both the Union government and the newly elected state governments can now resume regular governance functions, including major policy announcements, developmental clearances, administrative appointments and welfare-related initiatives that are ordinarily kept on hold during elections to ensure a level playing field among political parties.
The just-concluded Assembly elections witnessed fierce political battles and extensive campaigning across several states, especially in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, where major national and regional parties engaged in high-stakes contests. The elections were marked by intense rhetoric, large public mobilisations and closely watched electoral strategies amid shifting political equations.
Alongside the Assembly polls, the Election Commission also conducted bye-elections in constituencies spread across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura, adding further significance to one of the country’s most politically consequential election cycles this year.