House-to-house voter survey from October 26; parties asked to appoint Booth Level Agents by October 15
GTNS | ODISHA
OCTOBER 6, 2026
BHUBANESWAR: Preparations for Odisha’s 2027 Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections have moved into a crucial phase, with the State Election Commission holding an all-party consultation on Tuesday to strengthen the accuracy and transparency of the electoral roll.
State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi chaired the meeting with representatives of recognised political parties at the Commission’s conference hall. The discussions focused primarily on updating the voter database before the next round of rural and urban local body elections.
The Commission informed the political parties that a house-to-house voter survey will begin across the State from October 26. The exercise is aimed at verifying voter information and identifying eligible electors who need to be included, while checking records relating to voters who have shifted residence, died or are otherwise no longer eligible.
The SEC has also sought active participation from political parties through their Booth Level Agents (BLAs). Parties have been requested to ensure that BLAs are deployed at polling stations and participate in the verification process.
The deadline for submission of BLA details has been fixed as October 15. In rural areas, the information is to be submitted to the AERO/BDO, while in NACs and municipalities it will go to the concerned Executive Officer. For municipal corporations, the details are to be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner concerned.
Padhi underlined that an accurate electoral roll is fundamental to a transparent and credible election process. He stressed that preparation of the list must involve transparency, neutrality and participation of all stakeholders.
The meeting also covered the procedure for adding, deleting and correcting voter names, along with the role of citizens in cooperating with survey teams. The Commission stressed that the exercise should ensure that eligible voters are not left out and that ineligible entries are not retained.
Representatives of political parties placed their suggestions before the Commission and assured cooperation during the field-level verification exercise.
With the 2027 Panchayat and urban elections approaching, the State Election Commission is now focusing on building a comprehensive and updated electoral roll through coordination among election authorities, political parties and voters.
Secretary of the State Election Commission Santosh Kumar Dash, Deputy Secretary Durga Charan Murmu and representatives of various political parties were present at the meeting.
GTNS | BHUBANESWAR