New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Aiming to strengthen ECI’s legal framework and strategy, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday inaugurated the 2nd National Conference of Counsels representing the poll panel.

The Conference, organised at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, centred on the theme “A Year of Legal Challenges, Experiences, Learnings and the Way Forward”, provided a vital platform for dialogue and exchange between the Commission and legal professionals from across the country.

The Conference was attended by advocates representing the Commission before the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts across the country, as well as by the Commission’s CEOs and senior officials.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar said, “Fair rolls lead to fair polls. That’s the moment today, and India is in it.”

He also hailed BLOs and BLAs as the foot soldiers of electoral roll management and congratulated the electors in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal for their historic participation.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar also highlighted the high level of contestation during these elections, the official statement said.

He commended the counsel for their dedicated efforts in representing the Commission before courts across the country.

Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said that the one-day conference would further strengthen coordination between the ECI and its legal representatives across the country.

In his remarks, Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi stated that the conference would provide an important forum for exchanging experiences and deliberating on emerging legal challenges, enabling the formulation of effective legal strategies to further strengthen and uphold electoral integrity in a dynamic electoral environment.

As part of the conference, interactive sessions were held on key electoral processes, such as electoral roll management, Special Intensive Revision (SIR), polling and counting procedures, and EVM demonstrations.

Experience-sharing sessions by advocates, along with discussions on election laws, judicial proceedings, legal reforms, institutional coordination, the role of media narratives, and ECI’s technology-driven initiatives, including ECINET, provided a platform to examine emerging issues in the electoral and legal landscape, said the statement.

Building on the outcomes of the National Conference of ECI Counsels held in 2025, the conference provides an opportunity to review progress made, exchange insights, and identify priorities for further strengthening the Commission’s legal framework.

–IANS

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