In a significant recognition of electoral excellence, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Monday lauded Jharkhand’s voter registration apparatus for achieving an unprecedented milestone – zero appeals filed against the revised electoral roll.

The commendation came during the inauguration of a two-day capacity-building programme at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, focused on Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and electoral stakeholders from Jharkhand.

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Addressing the participants, CEC Kumar remarked, “It is a commendable achievement that no appeal has been filed against the recently revised voter list in Jharkhand. This reflects not only procedural precision but also a growing trust in the democratic framework.”

However, he cautioned that the focus must now shift to educating voters on their right to appeal, should discrepancies arise, and outlined the multi-tiered grievance redressal mechanism available at the district and Chief Electoral Officer levels.

The CEC emphasized that the Commission functions within the strict contours of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and associated rules. He revealed that the current training initiative stemmed from observations made during field visits to several states. “Having seen the operational nuances on the ground, we decided to bring BLOs from across the country to the capital for structured capacity-building,” he said.

Citing his recent visit to the BLOs of the Dasham Falls region in Jharkhand, Kumar noted that “the BLO didis’ understanding of the electoral process was deeply impressive,” reinforcing Jharkhand’s emergence as a model in voter list management.

The CEC also addressed widespread public skepticism around Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), asserting that “EVM-VVPAT matches have been conducted over 50 million times without a single mismatch. The technology is robust and reflects the exact will of the voter.”

He underlined the magnitude of India’s electoral operation, describing the Election Commission as the “world’s largest mobilized institution” during polling periods. “Over 10.5 lakh polling booths operate on a single standardised protocol, with BLOs and booth-level agents of political parties working in synchrony.”

On Day One of the training, participants engaged in structured sessions on electoral processes delivered by experts including Dr. Shashi Shekhar Reddy, Dev Das Dutta, Chand Kishore Sharma, and Prabhas Dutta. The day began with yoga practice and a group photograph, setting a tone of discipline and solidarity.

Among those present at the inaugural session were Rakesh Kumar Verma, Director General, IIIDEM; Manish Garg, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner; Ajit Kumar and Sanjay Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioners; and K. Ravi Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Jharkhand.