New Delhi [India]: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has announced a large-scale training initiative for 1 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to enhance the electoral process. The announcement was made during the inauguration of the first-ever training session for BLOs at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Election Commission.
India’s Largest Electoral Process
Highlighting the scale of India’s democratic exercise, CEC Kumar stated:
“India’s election is the biggest election in the world. To conduct this election, the Election Commission sets up 10,50,000 booths. In every polling booth, there is a booth-level officer who helps in making the electoral roll and goes to houses to check the names in the electoral roll.”
To strengthen this critical process, Kumar announced, “We have set up a training for the first time… in this training, we will train 1,00,000 booth-level officers.”
Nationwide Training Rollout
According to an official release, the training will be conducted over the next few years, covering over 1 lakh BLOs, with each officer overseeing an average of 10 polling stations. These trained BLOs will become Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs), helping to build a stronger electoral framework nationwide.
Currently, 109 BLOs from Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam are attending a two-day residential training program along with 24 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 13 District Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.
Objectives of the Training Program
The program is designed to:
✅ Familiarize BLOs with their roles and responsibilities as per the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and other electoral laws.
✅ Equip BLOs with knowledge of IT applications to ensure an error-free electoral roll updation.
✅ Improve efficiency in form-filling and verification processes to enhance the integrity of voter lists.
State Government’s Role in Appointing BLOs
BLOs, who are state government officials, are appointed by the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) after approval from the District Election Officers (DEOs). CEC Kumar emphasized the importance of appointing qualified officials for these roles:
“State governments should nominate SDM level or equivalent officers as EROs, who then should appoint BLOs giving due consideration to their seniority and ensuring they are ordinary residents of the polling station under their charge.”
Ensuring a Transparent and Error-Free Electoral Process
Reiterating the importance of a clean electoral roll, Kumar emphasized that as per Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 20 of the RP Act 1950, only Indian citizens above 18 years and residing in the constituency can be registered as electors.
He instructed all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), DEOs, and EROs to:
📌 Hold all-party meetings at their respective levels to resolve electoral roll-related issues.
📌 Strictly act on complaints against EROs or BLOs to ensure fair electoral roll management.
📌 Ensure BLOs maintain professionalism and courtesy while conducting house-to-house voter verification.
Concluding his address, Kumar reaffirmed the Election Commission’s commitment to 100 crore electors across the nation, stating that it will always uphold their rights and ensure a transparent and robust electoral process.