Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Friday addressed ECI’s All India Media Conference 2026, sharing the poll panel’s practices related to conducting elections transparently. Addressing 380 media professionals from States/UTs across the country on the theme "Connecting stakeholders, strengthening democracy: Role of media in elections", CEC Gyanesh Kumar emphasised that Indian elections are held according to the Constitution of India, Electoral Laws and instructions of the Election Commission of India issued from time to time.
He added that the entire electoral process is concurrently audited by the stakeholders involved in the electoral processes in India. CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that India's Electoral Rolls with nearly 95 crore Indians are a living document which is dynamically evolving with time.
Referring to the statutory safeguards underlying the preparation of Electoral Rolls, he added that over 12 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and over 15 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are actively involved in the process as "concurrent auditors". CEC Gyanesh Kumar added that the highest-ever poll participation in the recent Assembly elections is proof of the trust that Indian electors have in the country's electoral system and the vibrancy of Indian democracy.
He also expressed gratitude to all electors of India for their participation in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The conference aims at promoting an informed understanding of the different aspects of the electoral processes and how elections in India are conducted with utmost transparency involving key stakeholders of political parties and candidates, said the statement.
The conference began with a wide overview of the transparency measures provided for in the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951, and the instructions issued by ECI from time to time, ECINET platform and role of technology in elections, important constitutional provisions and laws relating to media matters during elections, it said.
The participants were briefed on the roles and responsibilities of Booth Level Agents (BLAs), Polling Agents and Counting Agents, highlighting their role in ensuring transparency, facilitating political party participation and strengthening the electoral process at various stages of elections as concurrent auditors of elections in India.
As part of the programme, participants were also taken through group demonstrations of the Electoral Roll Preparation, Polling Process, and Counting Process. The demonstrations provided an opportunity for media professionals to gain hands-on experience with the various statutory forms that formed the basis for concurrent audits by various stakeholders, said the statement. The sessions were also followed by a question-and-answer session with the participants with CEC Gyanesh Kumar, it said.