‘National Manifesto 2026’: After 27 years, EC, state poll panels start tweaking Panchayat, Assembly election laws | India News

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC), which holds Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, and the State Election Commission (SEC), which holds Panchayat and municipal polls, on Wednesday reached a broad agreement to synchronize laws related to Panchayat and municipal body elections with those related to Assembly and state polls. The National Declaration 2026 adopted by the EC and SEC National Roundtable held here after a gap of 27 years emphasized their consensus that pure electoral rolls and transparent electoral conduct are the cornerstones of democracy. The EC recommended that all SECs develop acceptable mechanisms and legally feasible frameworks to coordinate the electoral process in the “constitutional and national interest”, including sharing ECINET, EVMs, electoral rolls and training resources.A team of legal and technical officials led by senior EC officials will study all the recommendations made by the SEC and will submit the way forward from the state/UT side to the EC within three months “to take the best decision”.Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are conducted under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Electoral Conduct Rules, while panchayat and municipal elections are conducted under the laws and rules framed by the relevant states/Union Territories. Therefore, the processes related to preparation of electoral rolls, conduct of polls and polling methods for Assembly/Assembly polls may differ from those used for Panchayat and Urban Body polls within the same State/Union Territory, although the number of State/Union Territory officials participating is the same. “Synchronizing the legal framework will ensure logistical ease and pure electoral rolls,” an official told TOI. Sources said the SECs of the BJP-run states/Union Territories on Wednesday unanimously supported the proposal. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, addressing the SEC meeting, called on the EC and SEC to engage in institutional coordination within their respective constitutional mandates. He advocates a unified approach to electoral roll management, adoption of technology and sharing of best practices to make the electoral process more efficient.