With elections just days away, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged citizens to make informed choices by using the “Know Your Candidates (KYC)” module available on its integrated platform, ECINet. The feature enables voters to access critical details about contesting candidates, including criminal cases, assets and liabilities, educational qualifications, and their authentic social media handles.
The Commission stated that users can access the KYC module under the “Conduct of Elections” tab on ECINet. Voters can also download the complete affidavit (Form 26) submitted by candidates, ensuring transparency and easy access to verified information.
The ECI had earlier announced the schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with by-elections to eight Assembly constituencies across Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura on March 15, 2026.
General Elections and bye-elections 2026: Know Your Candidate’s educational qualifications and criminal antecedents using ECINET Platform.
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— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) April 4, 2026
According to official data, a total of 1,955 candidates are in the fray for elections to the legislative assemblies of Assam and Kerala, the Union Territory of Puducherry, and by-elections in four states going to polls on April 9, 2026. Meanwhile, the filing of nominations has commenced for West Bengal (Phase I and II) and Tamil Nadu. 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).
ECINet, described as the world’s largest electoral service platform, integrates over 40 applications and portals of the ECI to provide a seamless experience for voters. The platform offers a wide range of services, including voter registration, electoral roll search, application tracking, e-EPIC download, and grievance redressal.
In addition, ECINet allows citizens to connect with election officials, book calls with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and access polling trends. It also incorporates tools such as cVIGIL for reporting electoral violations and Saksham to facilitate accessible electoral services for persons with disabilities.
The Commission emphasised that the KYC feature is a key step towards strengthening electoral transparency and empowering voters with verified, comprehensive candidate information ahead of polling.
