CEC Gyanesh Kumar says BLOs are backbone of India’s electoral machinery during Odisha visit

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday said that booth-level officers (BLOs) are the backbone of India’s electoral machinery , highlighting their critical role in maintaining accurate electoral rolls and ensuring free and fair elections, as he began a two-to-three-day visit to Odisha.

“ I have come to Odisha with my family to visit the Jagannath temple , to understand and experience the local culture, and also to meet our booth-level officers, who are the backbone of our electoral process. We will be in Odisha for two to three days,” Kumar told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

The visit reflects the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) emphasis on strengthening last-mile election management ahead of upcoming Assembly polls in several states. During his stay, the CEC is expected to interact with booth-level officers and other election officials to review preparedness, address operational challenges, and reinforce best practices in voter services and electoral roll management.

BLOs play a key role in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, including door-to-door verification, enrolment of new voters, correction of entries, and removal of duplicate or ineligible names. Election officials note that the publication of draft electoral rolls and their subsequent finalisation after claims and objections are essential for transparency, preventing disenfranchisement, and safeguarding the integrity of the voting process.

Kumar’s Odisha visit is part of a broader pattern of direct engagement with grassroots election functionaries across states. In recent weeks, he visited Hyderabad, where he offered prayers at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple with his family and later met booth-level officers to discuss measures to strengthen the electoral process and improve administrative efficiency. He also visited the Srisailam Devasthanam and sought blessings at the shrine.

Earlier on Friday, Kumar met Ina H. Krisnamurthi, Ambassador of Indonesia to India , at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi. In a post on X, the Election Commission of India said the meeting was held in Kumar’s capacity as Chief Election Commissioner of India and Chairperson of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). On December 3 , Kumar assumed the chairship of the Council of Member States of International IDEA for the year 2026.

Meanwhile, the ECI continues preparatory work for the 2026 Assembly elections. On December 19, it released the draft electoral roll for Tamil Nadu after receiving over 5.43 crore voter enumeration forms. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 2, 2026, following a Special Intensive Revision exercise conducted nearly five months ahead of the polls.