New Delhi, March 4: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has directed election officials to maintain regular engagement with political parties to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
Speaking at a two-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all States and Union Territories at IIIDEM, here on Tuesday, Kumar stressed upon the need for election officers to be accessible to political parties.
“Regular meetings at all levels will help address issues within the existing statutory framework. It must also be ensured that no one intimidates election staff through false claims,” he stated.
This is the first such conference since Gyanesh Kumar took charge as CEC. Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi also participated, discussing measures to enhance election management within the legal framework. Kumar urged officials, including District Election Officers (DEOs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs), to operate transparently and diligently fulfil their legal obligations.
He underlined the importance of working in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, Voter Registration Rules, and Election Conduct Rules. He further instructed that every Indian citizen above 18 years of age must be registered as a voter as per Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution.
BLOs should be trained to interact courteously with voters. Polling stations should accommodate 800-1,200 voters and be located within 2 km of every voter’s residence. He said adequate facilities must be provided at polling stations, with a focus on rural areas, slums, and high-rise buildings to improve voter turnout.
The CEC directed all CEOs to submit an Action-Taken Report on these directives by March 31, 2025. “After a comprehensive mapping of the Constitutional framework and statutes, the Commission has identified 28 distinct stakeholders in the entire election process including CEOs, DEOs EROs, political parties, candidates, polling agents etc,” an Election Commission statement said.
The conference aims to strengthen the capacity building of each of the 28 identified stakeholders which have been divided among all CEOs in four cohorts namely Electoral Rolls, Conduct of Elections, Supervisory/Enforcement and Political Parties/Candidates, under the guidance of each of the four DECs in the Commission.
IANS