CEC Gyanesh Kumar urges voters to ensure voter ID, says “sanitised voter list foundation of transparent elections”

AGRA: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar urged citizens to actively participate in the electoral process and ensure that they are enrolled in the voter list, stressing that a clean electoral roll is essential for transparent elections.

Speaking after offering prayers at the Kailash Temple along with his wife Anuradha on Monday, Kumar said he had come to seek blessings after the completion of the recent election processes in multiple states and also appealed to voters to strengthen democratic participation.

“After a successful election process in five states, my wife, Anuradha, and I came to Agra to seek blessings from our parents. After that, we came to Kailash Mandir for the darshan of Mahadev and took his blessings,” the CEC told reporters.

#WATCH | Agra, UP | Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, says, “For the first time since the commencement of the SIR process, I had the privilege of seeking the blessings of my parents. Our family is committed to this appeal, and I wish to convey this message to all… pic.twitter.com/qnWbVNjJkm

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2026

He further underlined the importance of voter registration and participation, urging eligible citizens to ensure they are enrolled and exercise their franchise. “I would like to tell all voters of India to certainly get their voter IDs made and cast their vote in the elections. Only a sanitised voter list is the foundation of transparent elections. Let’s all participate in the election process in India,” Kumar said.

The 2026 assembly elections were held across multiple states in April-May, delivering mixed mandates: the BJP-led NDA secured historic gains in West Bengal and retained Assam and Puducherry, the Congress-led UDF swept Keralam, and Tamil Nadu saw a fractured verdict with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single largest party.

Meanwhile, Kumar has in recent months repeatedly highlighted the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise aimed at cleaning up electoral rolls by removing duplicate, deceased, shifted and ineligible entries while ensuring inclusion of all eligible voters.

Earlier, he had said the EC is working to prepare “one of the most accurate electoral rolls in the entire world,” stressing that the process is being carried out with extensive ground-level verification and participation from Booth Level Officers and political party representatives.

Last Thursday, Kumar also urged citizens to actively participate in Phase III of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 16 States and three Union Territories, calling for a “pure and error-free” voter list.

The EC had earlier said Phase III will cover over 36 crore electors and involve large-scale house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers, along with participation from political parties and Booth Level Agents to ensure transparency. (ANI)