The Election Commission of India (ECI) today commenced a two-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all States and Union Territories at IIIDEM, New Delhi. This marks the first such conference since Shri Gyanesh Kumar assumed office as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). CEC, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, engaged with CEOs on various topics aimed at enhancing election management within the existing legal framework.
Addressing the gathering, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar urged all officials, including CEOs, DEOs, EROs, and BLOs, to maintain transparency and diligently fulfill their statutory duties as per the Representation of the People Act of 1950 & 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules 1960, the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, and ECI guidelines.
He emphasized the importance of being approachable and responsive to political parties, ensuring that statutory meetings are held regularly at all levels to address concerns through the appropriate authority, be it the ERO, DEO, or CEO. CEOs are required to submit issue-wise action taken reports to their respective DECs by March 31, 2025.
Shri Kumar also stressed that all electoral officials must be well-versed in their responsibilities as defined by legal statutes and ECI directives. He directed that every eligible Indian citizen above 18 years of age should be registered as an elector, in line with Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution. Furthermore, BLOs should be trained to interact courteously with electors while ensuring that no electoral staff faces intimidation due to false claims.
To improve accessibility, officials were instructed to maintain polling station sizes between 800-1200 electors and ensure that polling booths are located within 2 kilometers of voters’ residences. Efforts should also be made to establish polling booths with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) in rural areas and high-rise buildings or slum clusters in urban regions to boost voter participation.
The Commission has identified 28 key stakeholders in the electoral process, including CEOs, DEOs, EROs, political parties, candidates, and polling agents. To enhance their capacity, the conference has categorized them into four cohorts—Electoral Rolls, Conduct of Elections, Supervisory/Enforcement, and Political Parties/Candidates—each guided by one of the four DECs in the Commission.
For the first time, one DEO and one ERO from each State/UT are participating in the conference. Further details will be shared following the conference’s conclusion tomorrow.