The 31st conference of State Election Commissioners from various states will be held at Pench National Park in Seoni district from March 1 to 4. A total of 22 State Election Commissioners will participate in the event, where discussions will focus on challenges encountered during local body elections and strategies to address them. The conference will also highlight innovations, reforms, and the integration of new technologies in the electoral process.
According to the schedule set by the commission, the conference will commence on March 2. In the first session, Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission Secretary Abhishek Singh will present a demonstration on conducting panchayat elections through e-polling booths and paperless booths. A film showcasing the process will also be screened. Additionally, Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Neelam Sahni will present insights on the automated local body election process. The second session will feature a meeting of the Standing Committee of State Election Commissioners to deliberate on challenges faced during local body elections and their solutions.
On March 3, subject experts will present strategies to enhance transparency in the election process, strengthen democracy, facilitate remote voter registration, and implement online voting. Discussions will also include the adoption of new technologies in local elections. Representatives from organizations such as Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Bharat Electronics Corporation (BEL), and ITI Limited, Bangalore, will introduce new innovations in election management.
On March 4, the State Election Commissioners will embark on an educational tour, during which the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission will showcase a demonstration of a paperless booth.
Key attendees of the conference will include Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Neelam Sahni, Dr. Vijay Dev (Delhi-Chandigarh), Daulat Havaldar (Goa), Dr. B.K. Tiwari (Jharkhand), G.S. Sangreshi (Karnataka), Madhukar Gupta (Rajasthan), Madhusudan Padhi (Odisha), I. Rani Kumudini (Telangana), Anil Kumar Khanchi (Himachal Pradesh), Alok Kumar (Assam), B. Jothi Nirmalasamy (Tamil Nadu), Dinesh T. Waghmare (Maharashtra), K.C. Lepcha (Sikkim), B.R. Sharma (Jammu & Kashmir), Sudhanshu Pandey (Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu), Sharadendu Chaudhary (Tripura), Dr. S. Muralikrishnan (Gujarat), Raj Pratap Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Sushil Kumar (Uttarakhand), Dr. Deepak Prasad (Bihar), and A. Shahjahan (Kerala). The host, Madhya Pradesh State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar Srivastava, along with secretaries and officials from various election commissions, will also participate in the conference.
