1. Election Commission of India (ECI) organised the first All India Media Conference 2026, bringing together over 380 media professionals from States/UTs across the country under the theme “Connecting stakeholders, strengthening democracy: Role of media in elections.”
2. Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar addressed the participants during the conference. He also emphasized that elections in India are held according to the Constitution of India, Electoral Laws and instructions of the Election Commission of India issued from time to time. He added that the entire electoral process is concurrently audited by the stakeholders involved in the electoral processes in India.
3. CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that India’s Electoral Rolls with nearly 95 crore Indians is a living document which is dynamically evolving with time. Referring to the statutory safeguards that underlie the preparation of Electoral Rolls, he added that over 12 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and over 15 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are involved actively in the process as “concurrent auditors”.
4. Shri Gyanesh Kumar added that the highest-ever poll participation in the recent Assembly Elections is a proof of the trust the Indian electors have in the country’s electoral system and the vibrancy of the Indian democracy. He also expressed gratitude to all electors of India for their participation in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
5. The conference aims at promoting an informed understanding of the different aspects of the electoral processes and how elections in India are conducted with utmost transparency involving key stakeholders of political parties and candidates.
6. The conference began with a wide overview of the transparency measures provided for in the Constitution, Representation of the People Acts 1950 and 1951 and the instructions issued by ECI from time to time, ECINET platform and role of technology in elections, important constitutional provisions and laws relating to media matters during elections.
7. Participants were briefed on the roles and responsibilities of Booth Level Agents (BLAs), Polling Agents and Counting Agents, highlighting their role in ensuring transparency, facilitating political party participation and strengthening the electoral process at various stages of elections as concurrent auditors of elections in India.
8. As part of the programme, participants were also taken through a demonstration of the Electoral Roll Preparation, Polling Process and Counting Process in groups. The demonstrations provided an opportunity for the media professionals to get a hands-on experience of the various statutory forms which provided the basis for the concurrent audit by the various stakeholders.
9. The sessions were also followed by a Question and Answer (Q&A) session of the participants with CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar.

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PK/GDH/RP

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