ECI issues directions for strict implementation of Model Code of Conduct for the general elections in 5 States/UT and bye-elections in 6 States

• Model Code of Conduct (MCC): a set of ECI-issued guidelines binding on parties, candidates and governments from the date of poll-schedule announcement until completion of elections.
• ECI on 15 March 2026 announced the General Election to Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and bye-elections to 8 ACs in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura — triggering immediate MCC enforcement.
• Tests the aspirant's grasp of ECI's plenary powers (Art. 324), MCC's non-statutory but enforceable character, and federal optics (MCC binds the Central Govt for the poll-going State).