ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi-110001
No. ECI/PN/229/2025
11.06.2025
Media Release
CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar Delivers Keynote Address at the Stockholm International Conference on
Electoral Integrity
Highlights India’s Electoral Integrity, Scale and Diversity
Highlighting India’s electoral integrity, scale and diversity, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) of India, while delivering his keynote address at the Stockholm International
Conference on Electoral Integrity in Sweden last evening, reaffirmed the role of the Election Commission of
India (ECI) in capacity building programmes for Election Management Bodies (EMB) of countries around the
globe. Conducting elections with utmost integrity is a testament to our national resolve, he emphasized.
Over 100 participants representing Election Management Bodies (EMBS) of around 50 countries are taking
part in the Conference, which is being organised by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral
Assistance (International IDEA).
Shri Gyanesh Kumar also informed the participants about the massive scale of the election exercise
that is undertaken by the ECI, especially during the parliamentary elections, which is done under the close
watch of the political parties; candidates; general, police and expenditure observers and the media who, he
stated, act akin to concurrent auditors at various stages. The CEC also highlighted the scale of coordination
that underpins the conduct of elections in India. With over 20 million personnel, including polling staff,
police forces, observers, and agents of political parties at the time of conduct of elections, ECI becomes the
world’s largest organisation, surpassing the combined workforce of several national governments and major
global corporations and ensures that India’s nearly one billion electors are freely able to exercise their
franchise.
Further, speaking at this global platform, Shri Gyanesh Kumar traced the evolution of Indian
elections over the decades, noting how the system has adapted to increasing complexity while staying rooted
in constitutional values. From 173 million electors in 1951-52 to 979 million in 2024, and from just 0.2
million polling stations in the early years to over 1.05 million today, India’s electoral journey has
demonstrated both institutional foresight and unmatched scale. He noted that the 2024 General Elections
saw the participation of 743 political parties, which comprised six national parties, 67 state parties and the
other registered political parties. A total of 20,271 candidates contested elections conducted across the
length and breadth of the country using 6.2 million Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS), reaffirming the
Commission’s capability to conduct elections that are inclusive, efficient, and secure.
Shri Gyanesh Kumar underscored the statutory sharing of India’s Electoral Roll with all recognized
political parties every year during revision as well as before the elections since 1960 till today, with provision
of claims, objections and appeals, as one of the world’s most rigorous and transparent exercises, reinforcing
the accuracy and integrity of the electoral process. He noted that this robust mechanism plays a vital role
in upholding electoral credibility across the country, year after year.
Reflecting on the inclusive design of Indian elections, he stated that the electoral process serves first-
time voters, senior citizens aged 85+, persons with special abilities, third-gender electors, and voters in the
most inaccessible regions with equal care and commitment. From polling booths with a single elector to
highest altitude stations like Tashigang in Himachal Pradesh, India’s commitment to leaving no voter behind
was reiterated as a constitutional principle rather than a logistical challenge.
On the sidelines of the conference, Shri Gyanesh Kumar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts
from Mexico, Indonesia, Mongolia, South Africa, Switzerland, Moldova, Lithuania, Mauritius, Germany,
Croatia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. These engagements focused on voter participation, electoral
technology, diaspora voting, and institutional capacity-building.
P. Pawan
Deputy Director
Author: admin
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