He said, "India’s electoral rolls are dynamically evolving with time." Referring to the statutory safeguards in 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".
The Election Commission of India (ECI) organised the conference, bringing together over 380 media professionals from states and Union Territories under the theme, "Connecting stakeholders, strengthening democracy: Role of media in elections."
Addressing the participants, Gyanesh Kumar said, "Elections in India 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".
The CEC also highlighted voter participation, saying "the highest-ever poll participation in the recent Assembly elections is a proof of the trust the Indian electors have in the country’s electoral system and the vibrancy of the Indian democracy."
He also expressed gratitude to electors for their participation in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
According to the Election Commission, the conference aims to promote an informed understanding of different aspects of the electoral process and explain how elections in India are conducted with transparency involving key stakeholders, including political parties and candidates.
The programme opened with presentations on constitutional provisions, the Representation of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951, instructions issued by the ECI from time to time, the ECINET platform, the role of technology in elections, and legal provisions relating to media during elections.
Participants were also briefed on the roles and responsibilities of Booth Level Agents (BLAs), polling agents and counting agents, highlighting their role in ensuring transparency and strengthening the electoral process.
As part of the conference, media professionals were taken through demonstrations of the electoral roll preparation, polling process and counting process in groups, providing them with hands on exposure to statutory procedures that form the basis of concurrent audits by various stakeholders.