EC to hold national conference of State Election Commissioners on February 24

The Election Commission will hold a national conference of State Election Commissioners here on February 24 after a gap of 27 years.

State Election Commissioners of all the states and union territories of the country are expected to attend the National SEC Conference. Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of ECI of all 36 States/ UTs will also attend the National Conference.

State Election Commissions are created by law of the respective States under the empowering provisions of 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. SECs are vested with the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Panchayats and Municipal Bodies.

A statement said State Election Commissioners will participate along with their legal experts and technical experts and present their views. The primary objective of the conference is to build synergy in the functioning of ECI and SECs with respect to the electoral processes and logistics within their respective legal frameworks, it said.

The participants will take part in discussion sessions on electoral laws on elector eligibility of the States/UTs, technological interventions spearheaded by the ECI such as the recently launched ECINET digital platform and EVMs amongst other topics, it said.

The EC will also lend its expertise from its experience of preparation of Electoral Rolls and Conduct of Elections as per the Constitution of India and the legal framework of the nation, it said.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar will chair the conference along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Officials said many State Election Commissioners had met the CEC and suggested holding the national conference, which was held last in 1999, for better synergies.