New Delhi, February 22 – In a pioneering initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a national roundtable conference on Tuesday to discuss and deliberate on measures to strengthen electoral processes while enhancing "synergy" between various wings of the poll body, including the State Election Commissioners (SECs).
During the day-long conference at the Bharat Mandapam, extensive discussions will be held focusing on technology adoption, the robust functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Electoral Rolls, as well as on how to address unforeseen challenges.
The roundtable conference, convened after a gap of about three decades, is significant in the context of the upcoming Assembly elections and amidst the political uproar over the purging of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The last such conference was held in 1999.
"The primary objective of the Round Table Conference is to foster synergies in the functioning of ECI and SECs with respect to electoral processes and logistics within their respective legal frameworks," the poll body said in a statement.
It added that the deliberations will provide a platform for constructive exchange of ideas and reinforce the spirit of cooperative federalism in electoral management.
The roundtable conference will be chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, and will be attended by Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi.
The State Election Commissioners of all states and union territories will participate along with their teams of advisors and experts. The Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all 36 states and union territories will also be present.
Senior ECI officials are set to make presentations on key technological and operational initiatives, including the recently launched ECINET digital platform and its potential to streamline electoral services.
The detailed presentation will also highlight the robustness and safeguards of EVMs, while shedding light on measures taken to promote transparency in the electoral system.
"A comparative presentation on the eligibility of electors in different states/UTs, with reference to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, will also be made to facilitate informed deliberations on the legal frameworks governing Electoral Roll preparation across jurisdictions," the EC said.
