The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered tourists and non-residents to vacate popular coastal destinations in Purba Medinipur district, including Digha, Mandarmani, Tajpur, Udaipur, and Shankarpur by Tuesday evening.
An order issued by the office of Bengal’s chief electoral officer also directs hotels to ensure that their rooms are not occupied by any person who is not a resident of the district, with effect from 6pm on Tuesday till the conclusion of polling on April 23.
The coastal belt of Purba Medinipur draws tourists year-round and is among the most visited destinations in West Bengal. The commission’s order effectively shuts down tourist activity across this entire stretch for a 48-hour window, an unusually wide enforcement perimeter that extends beyond the immediate polling infrastructure into the hospitality sector.
The poll body’s unprecedented order also explicitly barred political party campaigners from staying in the area during this period. It said that violations will be treated as punishable offences under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which prescribes a jail term ranging from 6 to 12 months for disobeying an order issued by a public servant.
Following the poll body’s official order, police stations covering Digha, Digha Mohana, and the Mandarmani coastline have been making public announcements via loudspeaker from Monday night, asking tourists to leave these destinations by Tuesday, 6pm. Hotels have also been told not to have outsiders on the premises.
The tourist eviction order is first of its kind issued by the ECI during an assembly election cycle. Officials also claimed that similar restrictions could be extended to other coastal or tourist areas in subsequent phases “if the security situation warrants it”.
