The Election Commission has taken significant steps to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process in the upcoming general elections. Special observers for administrative, security, and expenditure monitoring have been appointed in several states, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar, where the population exceeds 7 crore. Additionally, the commission has ordered the transfer of three Collectors and six IPS officers in Andhra Pradesh to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. In a related development, the State Bank of India (SBI) has refused to disclose the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the sale and redemption of electoral bonds in response to an RTI reply, raising questions about transparency in electoral financing.