CEC Gyanesh kumar visits Puri and Konark temples, call BLOs pillars of election process

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday began his three-day visit to Odisha with offering prayer at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, and described booth-level officers (BLOs), whom he will meet later, as the “pillars of the election process”.

Accompanied by his family, Kumar arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here and straightaway went to Puri for ‘darshan’ of the sibling deities — Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath. “I have come to Odisha with my family to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, to understand and experience the local culture, and also to meet our booth-level officers, who are the pillars of our election process. We will be in Odisha for two to three days,” Kumar told reporters here.

“Blessings of Lord Jagannath will inspire me to discharge my constitutional responsibilities with greater dedication,” he said. Kumar also said art, literature and culture of Odisha are ancient and unique. “I will learn as much as possible about these rich traditions,” he said. Senior temple officials and servitors apprised him of the spiritual and cultural uniqueness of Lord Jagannath, the distinctive rituals and traditions of the Shree Jagannath Temple, the world-famous Rath Yatra held annually in the presence of millions of devotees, as well as the exquisite temple architecture and deep-rooted devotional practices. The CEC later travelled along the Marine Drive to the famous Sun Temple at Konark.

He was briefed on the extraordinary craftsmanship and historical significance of Konark, a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, built in the distinctive Kalinga style of architecture.

 “The Sun Temple at Konark is not only a symbol of Odisha’s heritage but also a matter of pride and honour for the entire nation. One can truly appreciate how prosperous ancient India was in terms of wealth, knowledge, and scientific advancement,” he said, adding that this legacy fills one’s heart with a deep sense of pride.

The CEC said that both the Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark stand as magnificent examples of the state’s rich heritage and age-old traditions. The divine experience of visiting these sacred and historic places will remain etched in his memory forever, he stated.

On his second day tour, the CEC is scheduled to visit several heritage and cultural sites, including Raghurajpur village, renowned for ‘Patachitra’ paintings, Dhauli Shanti Stupa, the twin hill complexes of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, and the Mukteswar Temple in Bhubaneswar. Before concluding his visit, Kumar will interact with around 700 BLOs from Khurda and Cuttack districts on December 29 in Bhubaneswar.

The BLOs will play a major role in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Odisha, which is likely to be conducted by the EC in the third phase.

The EC conducted SIR in Bihar in the first phase, and the exercise is underway in 12 states and Union territories in the second phase.

Odisha, and the remaining states and UTs are expected to be covered in the third phase.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, in a post on X, said, “Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is seeking blessings of Lord Jagannath, but what about the grave sin of disenfranchising people?”

Das claimed that in Bihar, 65 lakh voters were removed, and even in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, a large number of voters are being removed during the SIR.

“Mahaprabhu is watching everything. After committing such an unforgivable act against democracy, wrongdoings can’t be just washed away,” Das added.