ECI to train Booth Level Agents for electoral roll

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it will soon start training political party representatives and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs). This training will focus on the electoral roll preparation and how to file claims and objections. BLAs are important as they represent political parties and assist Booth Level Officers during the special summary revision of the electoral roll. They help identify electors who have moved or have deceased. The ECI has over one million booths across the country. The training initiative has been positively received by political parties, who have also been invited to share their suggestions on election matters by April 30. In the last revision, only 89 appeals were filed in 36 states and union territories. An ECI official said that the knowledge among BLAs varies greatly, from those who know little to those who understand more. The ECI aims to involve everyone to prevent future complaints against the Commission. On March 4, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ordered state officials to hold meetings with political parties to address their concerns. These discussions involve 4,123 Electoral Registration Officers, 788 District Election Officers, and 36 Chief Electoral Officers. The ECI believes these meetings will help solve issues at the grassroots level.