New Delhi, February 26: The Election Commission of India and state election commissions convened for a national roundtable conference on February 24, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This significant event marked the first such gathering in 27 years, with participation from 30 state election commissions. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar presided over the conference, which also included Election Commissioners Dr. Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
During the conference, state election commissioners praised the initiative and deemed it a success. They collectively resolved to hold such national roundtable conferences annually. Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, attendees adopted the National Declaration 2026. This declaration emphasized that preparing a clean voter list is the cornerstone of democracy and that transparent and smooth conduct of elections strengthens democratic institutions.
In consideration of national and constitutional interests, the Election Commission proposed to standardize election processes in collaboration with all state election commissions. This includes developing systems through mutual consent, strengthening the legal framework, sharing resources like ECI Net, electronic voting machines, voter lists, and world-class training facilities at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management in India.
The declaration also stated that the Election Commission and state election commissions would work together to harmonize laws related to panchayat and municipal elections with those governing parliamentary and state assembly elections. This collaboration aims to further strengthen cooperation in the nation’s interest. The Election Commission also requested state election commissions to participate in international activities.
All suggestions received from state election commissions during the conference will be reviewed by a joint team of legal and technical officials led by the respective Deputy Election Commissioners. A detailed action plan will be prepared and submitted to the commission within the next three months, tailored to the states and union territories.
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