Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI The polls in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry – which recorded impressive turnouts, including an all-time high for two of the three states/UT – have drawn global attention with 38 international delegates from 22 countries who witnessed them firsthand, voicing their admiration for the high voter participation, meticulous planning and seamless execution of the elections. The delegates were here as part of Election Commission‘s International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2026. Describing their experience as “a true festival of democracy,” delegate Branimir Farkas from Croatia said the elections were “a huge process done right”. Paulus Shigwedha from Namibia said: “We are very impressed with how the polling stations have been organised and prepared “very well, with wheelchair and creche facilities.” The delegates visited district-level media monitoring centres and applauded the continuous oversight of the polls through webcasting. They also participated in plantation drives at polling stations, showcasing eco-friendly and sustainable election practices. “One of the great things about India is the use of EVMs… some of the things that we have learnt we will be able to take home and see how we could implement it…,” noted Abubakarr Mahmoud Koroma from Sierra Leone. The international delegates began their two-day visit (April 8-9) to Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry by visiting the dispatch and distribution centres where they observed the systematic movement of polling parties along with election materials through well-planned logistics and established SOPs. Delegates also interacted with chief electoral officers and state police nodal officers of the respective states on the overall conduct of elections, as well as security arrangements. They also visited the CCTV control rooms set up for monitoring the 100% webcasting of polling stations at the CEO offices, describing them as a “strong pillar of transparency”. tnn
