CEC Gyanesh Kumar interacts with young voters, election staff in Himachal's Chamba
Chamba, June 7
As part of his ongoing visit to Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday visited a polling station at Khajjiar in Chamba district, where he interacted with field-level election officials.
The CEC also engaged with young electors, encouraging their active participation in the democratic process, said an official statement.
During his Himachal visit, CEC Gyanesh Kumar earlier visited Dharamshala and interacted with election officials and Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
CEC Gyanesh Kumar spoke to BLOs and appreciated their efforts in updating electoral rolls and maintaining the purity of the voters' list.
The CEC's visit comes at a time when state election officials have begun preparations for Assembly elections expected to be held in November 2027 to elect all 68 members.
Gyanesh Kumar also turned to spiritual and religious activities in the Kangra Valley by offering prayers at temples on Saturday.
Accompanied by his family members, CEC Gyanesh Kumar visited the Kangra Fort and Bajreshwari Devi Temple in Kangra, a statement said.
He also offered prayers at the Chamunda Devi Temple in Dharamshala, it added.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision - Phase III has started in Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur.
An official said in a statement that the enumeration phase for Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur began on May 3.
"All eligible electors whose Enumeration Forms are received by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) on or before June 28, 2026, will be included in the Draft Electoral Rolls," the ECI said.
"Electors who are unable to submit their Enumeration Forms by June 28, 2026, may apply through Form-6 along with the prescribed Declaration Form during the claims and objections period," it added.
During the enumeration phase of SIR, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conduct house-to-house visits and provide Enumeration Forms to all existing electors.
The ECI said electors may submit the duly filled form either through the BLO or online.
To ensure maximum coverage, BLOs will visit each household to distribute, collect, and verify forms.
"During house-to-house enumeration, the BLOs carry at least 30 blank Form-6 along with blank Declaration Forms, to provide a form to anyone who seeks to enrol as a new elector," it added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive that the CEC is personally visiting polling stations and engaging with officials at the grassroots level. The emphasis on maintaining voter list purity is especially important with so many issues around duplicate entries in some states. The temple visits are a nice cultural touch too—blending administrative duty with local traditions.
Nice initiative but we need more focus on digital literacy for young voters in far-flung areas like Chamba. Not everyone can fill Form-6 online. The BLOs doing house-to-house visits is a good step, but let's ensure the June 2026 deadline is practical. Also, will there be special drives for students and first-time voters? 🇮🇳
It's encouraging to see election officials taking proactive steps to connect with youth and field staff. The Special Intensive Revision in these states is a smart move for accurate voter rolls. I just hope the enumeration process is transparent and BLOs are properly trained. The temple visits seem to add a nice community touch to the trip.
While the administrative steps are good, I wish the CEC also addressed the growing concern of voter apathy among the youth. Just enrolling them is not enough—we need to make them feel their vote matters. Maybe interactive sessions in schools and colleges could help. On the plus side, the BLO appreciation is well-deserved; they work really hard in tough conditions.
Great to see the CEC combining official work with cultural visits to temples and forts in Kangra Valley. It shows respect for local heritage.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.