Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar begins three-day Odisha visit, to address BLOs at OUAT

Chief Election Commissioner of India Gyanesh Kumar arrived in Bhubaneswar on Saturday on a three-day visit to Odisha, during which he is scheduled to combine official engagements with visits to prominent cultural and heritage sites across the state.

Sources reported that the Chief Election Commissioner reached the Biju Patnaik International Airport earlier in the day and proceeded to Puri, where he is slated to offer prayers at the Shree Jagannath Temple. Following the temple visit, Kumar is scheduled to travel to Konark as part of his itinerary on the first day of the visit.

Temple And Heritage Visits Lined Up

As per the official programme, Kumar will continue his Odisha tour on December 28 with visits to several heritage and cultural locations.

These include Raghurajpur heritage village, the Dhauli Shanti Stupa, the twin hill complexes of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, and the Mukteswar Temple in Bhubaneswar. Officials said the visits are part of a planned schedule during his stay in the state.

Interaction With Booth-Level Officers

A key official engagement during the visit is scheduled for December 29, when the Chief Election Commissioner will address booth-level officers at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) auditorium in Bhubaneswar. The meeting is slated to begin at 3 pm.

Officials said Kumar will preside over the interaction with booth-level officers, who play a critical role in the conduct of elections at the grassroots level. The programme is expected to focus on election preparedness, the roles and responsibilities of field-level functionaries, and the strengthening of electoral processes.

Following the meeting, the Chief Election Commissioner is scheduled to depart from Bhubaneswar later the same night, marking the conclusion of his Odisha visit.

ALSO READ: New Year rush builds up in Puri; pilgrims throng Srimandir; elaborate security in place

Administrative Significance Of The Visit

While the visit includes cultural engagements, officials indicated that the interaction with booth-level officers forms the core administrative component of the tour. Such engagements are routinely held by the Election Commission to reinforce procedural clarity and operational readiness among election officials at the cutting edge of the electoral system.

No separate review meetings with the state election machinery have been officially announced as part of the itinerary. The Election Commission has not indicated any election-related announcements during the visit.