Since 1960, poll rolls being shared with events: CEC Gyanesh Kumar | India News

NEW DELHI: In a primary however oblique rejoinder to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of enrolment of faux voters for Maharashtra polls, chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar underscored the statutory sharing of electoral rolls with all recognised political events yr after yr since 1960, with a provision for them to make claims, objections and appeals.Delivering the inaugural tackle on the International Conference on Electoral Integrity (IDEA) in Stockholm on Tuesday, Kumar described the annual roll revision train in India as “the world’s most rigorous and transparent”, including that it strengthened the accuracy and integrity of the electoral course of. He famous that “this robust mechanism plays a vital role in upholding electoral credibility across the country, year after year”.Rahul just lately reiterated his cost that BJP owed its landslide win in Maharashtra final yr to an uncommon surge in variety of voters after Lok Sabha polls. Officials in Election Commission, talking anonymously, had dismissed the cost, saying addition of votes in Maharashtra was lower than the rise in variety of voters for Telangana and Jharkhand polls which had been received by Congress and its allies.Congress stored up its protest, whereas additionally emphasising that EC officers had not spoken “on record”.Apprising the members – representing election administration our bodies (EMBs) of round 50 international locations – concerning the huge scale of Indian elections performed below the watch of political events, candidates, observers and the media, the CEC stated the poll panel, with over 20 million personnel, together with polling employees, police forces and observers, “becomes the world’s largest organisation, surpassing the combined workforce of several national govts and major global corporations and ensures that India’s nearly one billion electors are freely able to exercise their franchise”.Kumar traced the evolution of Indian elections over the a long time, noting how the system has tailored to growing complexity whereas staying rooted in constitutional values. “From 173 million electors in 1951-52 to 979 million in 2024, and from just 0.2 million polling stations in the early years to over 1.05 million today, India’s electoral journey has demonstrated both institutional foresight and unmatched scale,” he stated. Kumar added that 743 political events and 20,271 candidates contested elections throughout the nation utilizing 6.2 million EVMs.Reflecting on the inclusive design of Indian elections, Kumar stated the electoral course of serves first-time voters, senior residents aged 85+, individuals with particular skills, third-gender electors, and voters in probably the most inaccessible areas with equal care and dedication. From polling cubicles with a single elector to highest altitude stations like Tashigang in Himachal Pradesh, India’s dedication to leaving no voter behind is reiterated as a constitutional precept moderately than a logistical problem, he stated.