CEC Kumar calls BLOs ‘pillars of democracy’

PANAJI, SEP 2 (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday described Booth Level Officers (BLOs) as the “pillars of democracy” and praised their role in preparing electoral rolls and ensuring transparency in the election process.
Talking to mediapersons after addressing BLOs during his visit to Goa, Kumar said it was a great experience for him to interact with the “young, dynamic and untiring” booth-level officers who play a crucial role in India’s electoral system.
“The electoral rolls in India are prepared by the booth-level officers and concurrently audited by the booth-level agents appointed by all the national and state-level political parties,” Kumar said.
He said the transparency extends to the polling and counting processes as well.
“Polling in India, at any polling station, is concurrently audited by the candidates or their poll agents. Similarly, the counting process in elections is concurrently audited by the counting agents of the candidates,” he said.
Kumar asserted that India’s electoral processes are among “the most transparent in the world”.
“The electoral processes in India are one of the most transparent processes in the world,” the CEC said.
Kumar, who reached Goa on Wednesday, is on a two-day visit to the coastal state to review ground-level electoral preparedness and interact with officials and stakeholders ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.