Ahmedabad: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday said any shortcoming in the electoral roll would be his responsibility as the head of the Election Commission of India, while credit for ensuring that the rolls remain accurate and updated should go to Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
“If there is any shortcoming in the electoral roll, the responsibility as the head of the family is mine, but the credit for making the roll proper and accurate goes to our BLO brothers and sisters,” Kumar said while interacting with the state’s BLOs at an ‘Interaction with Booth Level Officer’ programme held at Gujarat University’s Atal Kalam Hall.
Kumar described BLOs as the most important members of the Election Commission’s family, saying that for a voter, the officer who visits their home or speaks to them over the phone is the “reflection” of the Election Commission.
He said BLOs play a crucial role in reaching crores of voters across the country and ensuring proper registration, corrections in electoral rolls and participation in polling.
“More than 11 lakh BLOs are working across the country to facilitate an electoral process involving the rights and expectations of around 90 crore voters. The Election Commission is using training programmes, meetings and digital platforms such as ECI-Net to maintain regular communication with its field-level personnel,” he said.
Kumar also stressed the need to keep electoral rolls accurate. “Political parties and their Booth Level Agents participate in the verification process, while BLOs identify cases involving Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Foreigner (ASDDF) voters. Every eligible Indian citizen who has completed 18 years of age should have their name included in the electoral roll,” he maintained.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Kumar said the Election Commission undertakes revisions from time to time to maintain the purity and accuracy of electoral rolls.
“BLOs visit voters’ homes, establish direct contact and verify the required information. Processes including verification of documents, mapping and hearings are used to make the rolls more accurate,” he said.
The CEC urged BLOs to regularly check electoral rolls in their areas and ensure that newly eligible voters are added. “Whenever you get time, check the electoral roll in your area and complete the necessary process to ensure that the names of young people who have completed 18 years of age are added to the electoral roll. This is the greatest service to the democracy of the country,” he said.
Explaining the safeguards in the polling and counting process, Kumar said EVMs and VVPATs are checked during mock polling in the presence of candidates’ polling agents before voting begins.
“After polling, the EVM-related result procedures are completed in the presence of candidates’ agents, and the required documents are signed,” he said.
During counting, the votes recorded in EVMs are verified against the votes mentioned in Form 17C in the presence of candidates’ counting agents.
“Political parties, candidates or their agents have opportunities for verification at every stage of the electoral process, making the process highly transparent,” he said.
He said India’s democracy is unique not only because of its size but also because of its depth, diversity and vibrancy.
Referring to high voter turnout in recent elections, Kumar said: “Voter awareness and the efforts of election personnel helped strengthen democracy.”
Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Sagale, while welcoming Kumar, said direct interaction between the country’s highest election official and Booth Level Officers was a “golden opportunity”.
He said BLOs are an important link between the Election Commission and citizens and ambassadors of democratic participation.
“Giving importance to the experiences, challenges and suggestions of BLOs working on the ground, alongside a technology-based electoral system, would help make the election process simpler, more transparent and effective,” he added.
(IANS)
