BLOs are bedrock of democracy, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Patna: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, August 17, described booth-level officers (BLOs) as the “bedrock of democracy”, who ensure that eligible electors get their voter ID cards made.

Kumar made the remarks after meeting BLOs in Bihar’s Nalanda district.

“BLOs are the bedrock of democracy. They go to every voter’s home and, in a transparent manner, ensure that eligible electors get their voter ID cards made,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.

The CEC said that after meeting the BLOs in Nalanda, he felt the capabilities possessed by these officers in the district should be “present in all the BLOs across the country.”

Kumar also announced the setting up of Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) under ELC 2.0 across the nation, starting from Bihar.

“The process of setting up clubs about electoral processes and their transparency has been started from Bihar, and will be expanded on a large scale for the entire country,” he said.

Kumar said the conference, attended by vice chancellors and principals of schools and colleges, and a large number of students from across Bihar, saw “very good suggestions” around strengthening the electoral process.

“After interacting with the participants, I have full faith that just as Bihar gave transparent and peaceful voting as a gift to the entire country, it will provide ELCs as a boon to the nation,” he said.

Earlier in the day, during his meeting with BLOs in Rajgir, he asserted that their role was “extremely important” in preparing a clean and error-free electoral roll, according to an official statement.

“During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme conducted in 2025, all BLOs discharged their duties with dedication and responsibility, resulting in significant success in making the electoral roll more accurate and error-free,” the CEC said.

Kumar heard from the BLOs their work-related experience, problems and suggestions, saying their “views were important for making the electoral process more effective, transparent and participatory”.