Chandigarh, Feb 23 (.) In a significant move to enhance electoral synergy, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to convene a National Round Table Conference with State Election Commissioners (SECs) on Tuesday.
The high-level meeting will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marking the first such assembly in nearly three decades, with the previous conference having been held back in 1999, official sources said on Monday.
The conference will be presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners DSukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The summit will see a comprehensive gathering of State Election Commissioners from all states and union Territories, accompanied by their respective legal and technical specialists. Additionally, the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all 36 States and union Territories will be in attendance to ensure a unified approach to electoral management.
According to an ECI spokesperson, the core mission of this Round Table is to foster better cooperation and logistical harmony between the ECI and SECs. While both bodies operate within distinct legal frameworks, the deliberations aim to create a platform for a constructive exchange of ideas. This initiative is expected to bolster the spirit of cooperative federalism, ensuring that the management of elections at both the national and local levels remains robust and integrated.
The day-long agenda will focus heavily on the shared use of technology, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and the standardisation of Electoral Rolls.
Senior officials from the Commission are scheduled to deliver presentations on groundbreaking operational initiatives, with a specific focus on ‘ECINET.’ This recently launched digital platform is designed to streamline electoral services and holds the potential to transform how election data and services are managed across jurisdictions.
Furthermore, the session will address the technical integrity and transparency of EVMs, highlighting the various safeguards currently in place. A comparative analysis regarding the eligibility of electors across different States and union Territories, in reference to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, will also be presented. This is intended to facilitate an informed discussion on the various legal frameworks that govern the preparation of voter lists.
While the ECI manages national and state assembly polls, State Election Commissions were established under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments to oversee local governance elections.
Under Articles 243K and 243ZA, SECs are responsible for the superintendence, direction, and control of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to Panchayats and Municipal Bodies. This conference represents a pivotal step in aligning these distinct yet essential pillars of Indian democracy. . NB .