Following Election Commission of India’s announcement for Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in Madurai from Sunday.
The District Election Officer and District Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar through a press notification has informed that sticking of posters and drawing in public places on walls and hoardings in corporation, municipality and town panchayat limits have been prohibited.
Those willing to advertise party-related matters in village areas could with prior permission of the owners use private walls and buildings.
Also, parties who are to organise campaigns, public meetings, use vehicles, should get permission from the District Election Officer.
Public who have licensed guns should hand them over to their jurisdictional police stations. As per the Model Code of Conduct enforcement, guns should not be possessed and taken out in public places.
The weekly grievances redressal meetings held on Mondays at the Collectorate shall stand suspended until the Model Code of Conduct was lifted.
While Madurai district has a total of 1,197 polling centres and 3,079 polling booths, constituency-wise split-up would be – Melur – 290 polling booths and 141 centres; Madurai East – 400 polling booths and 148 centres; Sholavandan (reserved) – 261 polling booths and 128 centres; Madurai North – 266 polling booths and 73 centres; Madurai South – 236 polling booths and 60 centres; Madurai Central – 253 polling booths and 61 centres; Madurai West – 327 polling booths and 79 centres; Thirupparankundram – 352 polling booths and 120 centres; Tirumangalam – 351 polling booths and 179 centres and Usilampatti – 342 polling booths and 208 centres.
Likewise, the number of voters in Melur Assembly Constituency – 2,27,789; Madurai East AC – 3,30,993; Sholavandan (reserved) AC – 2,12,502; Madurai North AC – 2,18,719; Madurai South AC- 1,77,605; Madurai Central AC – 1,96,856; Madurai West AC- 2,71,341; Thirupparankundram AC – 3,07,783; Tirumangalam AC – 2,59,225 and Usilampatti AC – 2,61,141.
The total electors aged above 80 are 43,720 and service electors are 5232.
To monitor the activities and seize cash or gift items, 90 flying squads and 90 Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs) have been formed, with nine squads assigned to each constituency.
A total of 14,779 Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) are to be engaged in the election duties.
Members of the public and political party representatives can contact the designated telephone numbers to report doubts, grievances, or violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Furthermore, complaints regarding code violations can also be registered through the cVIGIL mobile application/website. Public could also use [email protected] or 24 hours toll-free number – 1800 425 4268 to register their complaints.
Following the announcement, vehicles assigned for election flying squads were installed with GPS devices on Sunday.
This measure aimed to ensure the strict implementation of election regulations and to further strengthen monitoring operations across the district.
Under the supervision of the district administration, the installations were carried out for vehicles used by Flying Squads, Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs), and Video Surveillance Teams (VSTs).
By equipping the vehicles with GPS, the District Control Room would be able to monitor their real-time movement, including their current location, halt points, and the specific timing of their patrols.
Officials said that the system would significantly enhance transparency and oversight during the election period.
Published – March 15, 2026 08:52 pm IST
