Now Reading: 97 crore voters make India biggest family: CEC Gyanesh Kumar
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97 crore voters make India biggest family: CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday described India's 97 crore voters as the 'biggest family in the world,' underscoring the scale of the country's democracy and election machinery. Speaking at a regional conference in Lucknow, he said the voter base exceeds the combined voters of the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia by 8 crore.
Kumar also highlighted ECINET, a platform launched 4-5 months ago that connects 1.8 crore election officials during Lok Sabha polls. He said the app, which stores election data since 1951, is expected to become the largest app in India by the end of this year. He contrasted the ECI's workforce with the government's 65 lakh employees and Walmart's 20 lakh staff.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The 97 crore voter figure represents a significant expansion from the 91.2 crore voters registered for the 2024 general election, reflecting India's young demographic and ongoing electoral roll updates. ECINET, developed in-house by the ECI, is a secure network replacing older communication systems that relied on third-party apps. Its claim to become India's largest app by downloads would put it ahead of platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, though this depends on whether all polling personnel and the wider public are counted. The real test will come with the next Lok Sabha election, where ECINET's ability to handle real-time turnout data and affidavit verification across 10.5 lakh polling stations will be scrutinised.
The ECI's focus on ECINET also signals a push for transparency, as the app will host candidate affidavits and booth-level turnout, addressing past demands for real-time data access by political parties and civil society.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
