New Delhi, March 4: Amid allegations from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regarding duplication of voter card numbers across various states, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday instructed its state-level election officials to regularly conduct meetings with political parties and swiftly address their concerns through established procedures.
The directive was issued during the first-ever conference chaired by Gyanesh Kumar since he took office as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Addressing state poll officials, Kumar emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to all statutory obligations in the electoral process. He highlighted the importance of responsiveness and approachability, urging officials to maintain clear communication channels with political parties.
“All-party meetings at statutory levels must be held regularly to resolve any disputes or concerns strictly within the existing legal and procedural framework,” Kumar stated during his address. He further instructed election officials, including Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Election Officers (DEOs), Returning Officers (ROs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), to be fully aware of their duties as defined by election laws and the Election Commission’s guidelines.
In response to ongoing concerns raised by the TMC, the Election Commission has also requested state election officials to submit detailed, issue-specific action-taken reports by March 31. The timely submission of these reports is intended to demonstrate accountability and responsiveness to electoral integrity issues raised by political stakeholders.
This step underscores the Commission’s renewed focus on electoral transparency and robust management under CEC Gyanesh Kumar's leadership, particularly in the wake of rising concerns regarding voter card discrepancies across states.
The directive was issued during the first-ever conference chaired by Gyanesh Kumar since he took office as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Addressing state poll officials, Kumar emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to all statutory obligations in the electoral process. He highlighted the importance of responsiveness and approachability, urging officials to maintain clear communication channels with political parties.
“All-party meetings at statutory levels must be held regularly to resolve any disputes or concerns strictly within the existing legal and procedural framework,” Kumar stated during his address. He further instructed election officials, including Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Election Officers (DEOs), Returning Officers (ROs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), to be fully aware of their duties as defined by election laws and the Election Commission’s guidelines.
In response to ongoing concerns raised by the TMC, the Election Commission has also requested state election officials to submit detailed, issue-specific action-taken reports by March 31. The timely submission of these reports is intended to demonstrate accountability and responsiveness to electoral integrity issues raised by political stakeholders.
This step underscores the Commission’s renewed focus on electoral transparency and robust management under CEC Gyanesh Kumar's leadership, particularly in the wake of rising concerns regarding voter card discrepancies across states.
