Since 1960, poll rolls being shared with parties: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

NEW DELHI: In a archetypal but indirect rejoinder to Rahul Gandhi's allegations of enrolment of fake voters for Maharashtra polls, main predetermination commissioner Gyanesh Kumar underscored the statutory sharing of electoral rolls with each recognised governmental parties twelvemonth aft twelvemonth since 1960, with a proviso for them to marque claims, objections and appeals.Delivering the inaugural code astatine the International Conference connected Electoral Integrity (IDEA) successful Stockholm connected Tuesday, Kumar described the yearly rotation revision workout successful India arsenic "the world's astir rigorous and transparent", adding that it reinforced the accuracy and integrity of the electoral process. He noted that "this robust mechanics plays a captious relation successful upholding electoral credibility crossed the country, twelvemonth aft year".Rahul precocious reiterated his complaint that BJP owed its landslide triumph successful Maharashtra past twelvemonth to an antithetic surge successful fig of voters aft Lok Sabha polls. Officials successful Election Commission, speaking anonymously, had dismissed the charge, saying summation of votes successful Maharashtra was little than the summation successful fig of voters for Telangana and Jharkhand polls which were won by Congress and its allies.Congress kept up its protest, portion besides emphasising that EC officials had not spoken "on record".

Apprising the participants - representing predetermination absorption bodies (EMBs) of astir 50 countries - astir the monolithic standard of Indian elections conducted nether the ticker of governmental parties, candidates, observers and the media, the CEC said the canvass panel, with implicit 20 cardinal personnel, including polling staff, constabulary forces and observers, "becomes the world's largest organisation, surpassing the combined workforce of respective nationalist govts and large planetary corporations and ensures that India's astir 1 cardinal electors are freely capable to workout their franchise".Kumar traced the improvement of Indian elections implicit the decades, noting however the strategy has adapted to expanding complexity portion staying rooted successful law values. "From 173 cardinal electors successful 1951-52 to 979 cardinal successful 2024, and from conscionable 0.2 cardinal polling stations successful the aboriginal years to implicit 1.05 cardinal today, India's electoral travel has demonstrated some organization foresight and unmatched scale," helium said.

Kumar added that 743 governmental parties and 20,271 candidates contested elections crossed the state utilizing 6.2 cardinal EVMs.Reflecting connected the inclusive plan of Indian elections, Kumar said the electoral process serves first-time voters, elder citizens aged 85+, persons with peculiar abilities, third-gender electors, and voters successful the astir inaccessible regions with adjacent attraction and commitment. From polling booths with a azygous elector to highest altitude stations similar Tashigang successful Himachal Pradesh, India's committedness to leaving nary elector down is reiterated arsenic a law rule alternatively than a logistical challenge, helium said.