EC flags off International Election Visitors' programme participants to witness polling in Bihar

New Delhi [India], November 4 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday commenced the 2025 International Election Visitors' Program (IEVP) at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in the national capital.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi, held an interaction with the participants.
According to an official release issued by the ECI, 14 participants from seven countries, France, South Africa, Belgium, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Colombia, attended the inaugural session.
The participants were provided a demonstration of the EVMs, followed by a presentation by senior Officers of ECI on various aspects of elections, including preparation of Electoral Rolls and the conduct of elections in India.
IEVP includes a two-day tour of Bihar from November 5 to 6, where the participants will visit the EVM dispatch centres and witness the actual polling on November 6.
The IEVP is a flagship program of the ECI for international cooperation and engagement with the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of other countries and International organisations.
Since 2014, the IEVP has been showcasing the strengths of India's electoral system to the international community and sharing the best practices adopted in the world's largest democracy for the conduct of elections.
Meanwhile, the Second phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has started in 12 States and Union Territories on Tuesday, with Booth Level Officers (BLO) distributing enumeration forms door-to-door.
The BLO in Rashbehari Assembly constituency in West Bengal's Kolkata said that they have been instructed to get the enumeration forms filled within a month.
BLO Rajesh Singh told ANI, "This is the 160-Rashbehari Assembly constituency. We have to distribute and get enumeration forms fulfilled in one month's time."
In Tamil Nadu, District Election Officer and District Collector K. Ilambhagavath inspected the progress of this procedure in urban areas of Thoothukudi, including Amutha Nagar, Millerpuram, NGO Colony, P&T Colony, Tooviepuram, and Meelvittan.
The distribution of enumeration forms marks the beginning of the SIR exercise covering the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
ECI had announced the second phase of the SIR exercise on October 27, with the final voter list to be published on February 7, 2026.
According to the Election Commission, printing and training took place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4.
The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objections period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 2026, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026. (ANI)