Karwar: The first training session for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) was inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gnanesh Kumar at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi. The session was attended by Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi.

Addressing the gathering, CEC Gnanesh Kumar stated that in the coming years, over one lakh BLOs will receive such training programs, with an average of one BLO assigned per ten polling stations. These well-trained BLOs will form a network of assembly-level master trainers, serving as the primary link between the Election Commission and approximately 100 crore voters across the country.

This specialized capacity-building program will be implemented in a phased manner. In the current two-day residential training session, 109 BLOs from Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, along with 24 election registration officers and 13 district election officers from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu, are participating.

BLOs, who are state government officials, are appointed by election registration officers with the approval of district election officers. Highlighting the critical role of BLOs and election registration officers in ensuring an error-free electoral roll, CEC Gnanesh Kumar emphasized that state governments must nominate SDM-level or equivalent officers as election registration officers, who should then appoint BLOs based on seniority.

According to Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, only Indian citizens above the age of 18 who are ordinary residents of a constituency can register as voters, the CEC clarified.

The CEC directed all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and District Election Officers (DEOs) to conduct all-party meetings at their respective levels to address issues within their jurisdiction, including proper electoral roll updates. He further warned that strict action would be taken against any complaints regarding election registration officers or BLOs.

During the door-to-door verification process for voter list updates, all BLOs must interact courteously with voters, he added. The Commission remains committed to ensuring smooth communication with the country’s vast electorate of 100 crore voters.