Against the backdrop of opposition parties criticising the Election Commission (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has praised India as the most transparent, efficient and competent democracy in the world.
In brief remarks to the media after attending a meeting with booth-level officers (BLOs) here on Saturday, the CEC said, “Major democracies in the world hold Indian democracy in high esteem, and every citizen of the country draws pride from this glory.”
Speaking on the electoral process and related activities, Kumar said that every phase — from the preparation of electoral rolls to polling and the counting of votes — undergoes a concurrent audit by all contesting candidates and political parties.
“Given the high degree of transparency, efficiency, success and competence in our elections, International IDEA, the world body of major democracies, has elected India as its Chairman for 2026,” he said.
This is also a matter of pride for every Indian, the CEC quipped.
Regarding the meeting with BLOs, he said, “We held a dialogue with around 700 booth-level officers and booth supervisors. As part of the larger ECI family, we briefed them on their tasks, responsibilities, and the expectations the Commission has of them. We also appreciated and complemented their laudable performance in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Rajasthan and answered their questions.”
CEC Kumar arrived here on Saturday morning on a two-day visit to the state. On Sunday, he is scheduled to attend informal engagements and visit historic monuments for sightseeing.