Largest ever global delegation to witness India's general election

MUMBAI: In keeping with the tradition of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to foster a culture of transparency and reiterate its commitment to high standards of electoral practices amidst the democratic nations, 75 delegates representing 23 countries are in India to witness the Indian general elections as part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP). The event today was inaugurated in the presence of CEC Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu at New Delhi.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, while addressing the delegates, remarked that the contribution of the Indian electoral space and work done by the Election Commission of India holds a significant portion of the world democratic space. In terms of process and capacity it generates, what can be legitimately called ‘democratic surpluses’ is of huge significance in the otherwise growing concerns of the shrinkage or decline of democratic spaces worldwide.

Kumar further said that the Indian elections space is unique, as neither electoral registration is compulsory nor voting is mandatory. Therefore, the ECI is required to operate in an entirely persuasive space, inviting the citizens to volunteer to become part of the electoral roll and, thereafter, through systematic voter awareness programs, to motivate them to exercise their franchise. He said, “It would be axiomatic to say that the credibility of the processes that we undertake is validated through the sheer turnout at elections and the near saturation of electoral rolls in terms of Elector-population ratio.”

Commenting on the scale of the electoral exercise in India, he said that a 970 million strong electorate will be welcomed by over 15 million polling personnel at over 1 million Polling Stations spread across the country. Kumar added that the diversity of the nation’s electorate can be witnessed in its full expression by the visiting delegates at the Polling Stations. He added that India is a country of festivals and invited the delegates to experience the festival of democracy firsthand.

On the sidelines of the event, the Commission also held bilateral interactions with the Chief Election Commissioners of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Nepal along with their delegation.

Earlier in the day, delegates were briefed on various aspects of Indian general elections 2024, including EVM-VVPAT, IT initiatives, role of media and social media. The briefing session chaired by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Dharmendra Sharma included an overview of Elections by RK Gupta, deputy Election Commissioner followed by a presentation on EVM-VVPAT by Nitesh Kumar, Sr Deputy Election Commissioner. A presentation on the IT Initiatives of the ECI by Neeta Verma, Director General (IT) and Media and social media by Sh Anuj Chandak, Joint Director (Media) was part of the session.

The delegates will split into groups to visit six states—Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh to observe polls and related preparedness in various constituencies. The program will end on the 9th of May 2024. The program will familiarize foreign EMB delegates with the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as the best practices in the Indian election.

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