Press Release
Press Note from Election Commission of India
Information & Public Relations Department
𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀
𝐍𝐢𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐢-𝟏𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝐍𝐨. 𝐄𝐂𝐈/𝐏𝐍/𝟏𝟗𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝟐𝟎.𝟎𝟑.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐄𝐂𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡
𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟏 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟓𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐑𝐎, 𝐃𝐄𝐎 & 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬.
𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬.
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝟖𝟗 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟏 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫.
In under a month of the assumption of charge as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, ECI led by Shri Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi has put the entire election machinery right up to the BLO level on a path firmly on course for promoting participation of all electors and ensuring a pleasant experience for them at the polling stations. Political parties, being key stakeholders, are also being involved at the grassroot level.
The Commission reaffirms that the nearly 100 crore electors always stand as the pillar of democracy. Technical consultations between UIDAI and experts of ECI are to begin soon. Though an elector can only vote in the assigned polling booth and nowhere else, the Commission has resolved to remove duplicates countrywide in EPIC numbers and end a decades-long issue within 3 months. Regular updation of the voter list shall be strengthened in close coordination with the birth and death registration authorities. In the Commission's interactions with political parties, it was clarified that any inclusion or deletion to the draft elector list is governed by the process of appeals under relevant legal provisions for filing claims and objections, available to all political parties in the Representation of People act, 1950. In the absence of such appeals, the list as prepared by the ERO prevails. It may be recalled that the ECI had on 7th March, 2025 clarified that merely 89 first appeals and just the sole second appeal was filed after the completion of the
Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.
Ensuring 100% enrolment of all eligible citizens, ensuring ease of voting and a pleasant voting experience are key objectives of ECI. Steps will be taken to ensure that no polling station has more than 1,200 electors and they will be within 2 Kms of the electors. Even in the remotest rural polling station, basic facilities (AMF) will be ensured. To tackle urban apathy and encourage more participation, cluster of high rise buildings and colonies will also have polling stations within their premises.
In a major step towards comprehensive and continuous capacity building of nearly 1 crore election personnel, a two-day conference of CEOs of all States/UTs at IIIDEM was held in New Delhi on the 4th and 5th of March in which, in a first, DEOs and EROs of each of the State/UTs participated. The conference provided a thrust to energise the entire election machinery
with a clear mapping of 28 stakeholders along with their responsibilities as per the framework set by the constitution, electoral laws and guidelines issued by ECI. Electoral handbooks and manuals for instructions will be harmonised with the most recent changes. Digital training kits in multiple Indian languages will be prepared for easy absorption and effective training of frontline functionaries. Animated videos and integrated dashboard will provide a digital push to training. A training module is being devised to train BLOs in days to come.
To ensure full participation of political parties in all aspects of the election processes, CEC Gyanesh Kumar during the CEO conference on 4th March had directed that regular all-party meetings and interactions be held by all the 36 CEOs, 788 DEOs, 4123 EROs. Such meetings across the country will help resolve any outstanding and emergent issues raised by the political parties at the grassroot level itself. This process will be completed pan-India by the 31st of March, 2025. The offer of the Commission to train political party representatives and their appointed BLAs on the due processes as per electoral laws including claims and objections to the voter list has been welcomed by political parties. The ECI has also invited suggestions from all political parties on any and all matters concerning the conduct of elections and they can send these by the 30th of April, 2025. The parties have also been extended an invitation to meet the Commission in Delhi at a mutually convenient time.
These bold and far-reaching initiatives span the entire gamut of elections and encompass all the key stakeholders in a participatory manner.
P. Pawan
Deputy Director
𝐍𝐢𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐢-𝟏𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟏
𝐍𝐨. 𝐄𝐂𝐈/𝐏𝐍/𝟏𝟗𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝟐𝟎.𝟎𝟑.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐄𝐂𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡
𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟏 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬.
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟓𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐑𝐎, 𝐃𝐄𝐎 & 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬.
𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬.
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝟖𝟗 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟏 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫.
In under a month of the assumption of charge as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, ECI led by Shri Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi has put the entire election machinery right up to the BLO level on a path firmly on course for promoting participation of all electors and ensuring a pleasant experience for them at the polling stations. Political parties, being key stakeholders, are also being involved at the grassroot level.
The Commission reaffirms that the nearly 100 crore electors always stand as the pillar of democracy. Technical consultations between UIDAI and experts of ECI are to begin soon. Though an elector can only vote in the assigned polling booth and nowhere else, the Commission has resolved to remove duplicates countrywide in EPIC numbers and end a decades-long issue within 3 months. Regular updation of the voter list shall be strengthened in close coordination with the birth and death registration authorities. In the Commission's interactions with political parties, it was clarified that any inclusion or deletion to the draft elector list is governed by the process of appeals under relevant legal provisions for filing claims and objections, available to all political parties in the Representation of People act, 1950. In the absence of such appeals, the list as prepared by the ERO prevails. It may be recalled that the ECI had on 7th March, 2025 clarified that merely 89 first appeals and just the sole second appeal was filed after the completion of the
Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise as of 6th-10th of January 2025.
Ensuring 100% enrolment of all eligible citizens, ensuring ease of voting and a pleasant voting experience are key objectives of ECI. Steps will be taken to ensure that no polling station has more than 1,200 electors and they will be within 2 Kms of the electors. Even in the remotest rural polling station, basic facilities (AMF) will be ensured. To tackle urban apathy and encourage more participation, cluster of high rise buildings and colonies will also have polling stations within their premises.
In a major step towards comprehensive and continuous capacity building of nearly 1 crore election personnel, a two-day conference of CEOs of all States/UTs at IIIDEM was held in New Delhi on the 4th and 5th of March in which, in a first, DEOs and EROs of each of the State/UTs participated. The conference provided a thrust to energise the entire election machinery
with a clear mapping of 28 stakeholders along with their responsibilities as per the framework set by the constitution, electoral laws and guidelines issued by ECI. Electoral handbooks and manuals for instructions will be harmonised with the most recent changes. Digital training kits in multiple Indian languages will be prepared for easy absorption and effective training of frontline functionaries. Animated videos and integrated dashboard will provide a digital push to training. A training module is being devised to train BLOs in days to come.
To ensure full participation of political parties in all aspects of the election processes, CEC Gyanesh Kumar during the CEO conference on 4th March had directed that regular all-party meetings and interactions be held by all the 36 CEOs, 788 DEOs, 4123 EROs. Such meetings across the country will help resolve any outstanding and emergent issues raised by the political parties at the grassroot level itself. This process will be completed pan-India by the 31st of March, 2025. The offer of the Commission to train political party representatives and their appointed BLAs on the due processes as per electoral laws including claims and objections to the voter list has been welcomed by political parties. The ECI has also invited suggestions from all political parties on any and all matters concerning the conduct of elections and they can send these by the 30th of April, 2025. The parties have also been extended an invitation to meet the Commission in Delhi at a mutually convenient time.
These bold and far-reaching initiatives span the entire gamut of elections and encompass all the key stakeholders in a participatory manner.
P. Pawan
Deputy Director