New Delhi, Feb 25: The National Round Table Conference of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and State Election Commissioners (SECs) concluded on Tuesday at Bharat Mandapam.
The conference, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, was attended by Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, along with SECs from 30 states.
The SECs widely appreciated the holding of the National Round Table Conference, which took place after a gap of 27 years. Both the ECI and the SECs resolved to organise the conference annually to strengthen institutional coordination and cooperation.
Under the leadership of the Chief Election Commissioner, all SECs adopted the National Declaration 2026, affirming that the preparation of pure electoral rolls forms the bedrock of democracy. They emphasised that transparent and efficient conduct of elections is essential to strengthening democratic institutions.
In the national and constitutional interest, the ECI proposed to work out mutually acceptable and legally viable frameworks with SECs to synergise election-related processes across the country. This includes sharing of ECINET, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), electoral rolls and training facilities at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
The declaration further stated that the ECI and SECs would collaborate to harmonise laws governing elections to Panchayats and Municipal bodies with those applicable to Parliament and State Legislatures, thereby enhancing coherence in the electoral framework and promoting democratic integrity nationwide.