Margao: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday emphasised the robustness of India’s democratic framework, noting that electoral rolls are compiled by booth-level officers and audited by booth-level agents appointed by national and regional political parties.
The CEC was addressing a regional conference at Ravindra Bhavan in Margao. The conference focused on Electoral Literacy Clubs, ECINET and Booth-Level Officers (BLOs). Approximately 1,000 BLOs from across the state participated in discussions regarding electoral literacy, voter registration, polling procedures and digital voter services.
On the second day of the event on Thursday, Kumar is scheduled to interact with Electoral Literacy Clubs, students and other election officials.
In a brief media statement lasting less than a minute, Kumar spoke on the transparency of India’s electoral mechanism.
“Electoral rolls in India are prepared by booth-level officers and audited by booth-level agents appointed by national and regional political parties. Polling in India is concurrently audited by candidates or their polling agents to ensure transparency,” he said, adding that the counting process is similarly audited by candidates’ counting agents.
Commending the participants, including BLOs, for their role in India’s vibrant democracy, Kumar described the nation’s electoral processes as among the most transparent globally.
He urged every voter in Goa to participate in elections.
Following the event, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Goyal told the media that the interaction with the CEC was highly productive. District Election Officer and District Collector Egna Cleetus said that the event highlighted the transparency of the system.
A press release issued by the Department of Information and Publicity quoted Kumar stating that high voter turnout in West Bengal reflected the increasing public trust in the country’s electoral system. According to the release, Kumar noted that Goa maintains the best SIR in the country and praised the dedication of the state’s election machinery.
“The conference holds particular significance ahead of the 2027 Goa Assembly elections, with priorities emerging around electoral roll accuracy, the enrolment of eligible voters, awareness among new voters and effective grassroots preparedness,” the note said.
A separate press note issued by P Pawan, Deputy Director at the ECI office, underscored the instrumental role Goa’s BLOs play in preparing electoral rolls. The statement concluded by noting that CEC Kumar addressed and clarified the concerns raised by BLOs during the interaction.
