New Delhi, Jan. 21 -- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday emphasised that the Booth Level Officer (BLO) serves as the foundational pillar of India's electoral democracy.

He addressed the inaugural session of the Indian International Conference on Democracy and Election Management 2026 (IICDEM-2026) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Speaking at the event, CEC took delegates through India's electoral journey, explaining how Indian elections have become the largest democratic exercise on the planet.

"Each polling booth in India has roughly 970 electors, and the responsibility of the electors, and ensuring that all eligible electors are included in the electoral roll, is vested with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). ...