Lucknow: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday made it clear that the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be conducted on schedule in Feb and March 2027, saying that the constitutional mandate to hold elections on time will take precedence over the ongoing Census exercise.Addressing the first All India Media Conference organised by the EC in Delhi, Kumar said the term of the present Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 22, 2027, making it constitutionally mandatory to complete the election process before that. He said that while the Census is a statutory exercise, assembly elections are a constitutional requirement. If necessary, the Census schedule can be adjusted to ensure timely elections.The CEC also announced that bypolls will not be held in the Ghosi, Dudhi and Faridpur assembly constituencies, as less than a year remains before the next assembly elections.Responding to questions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Kumar said the EC would rectify any genuine errors found in voter records, including mistakes in family relationships, after due verification. He reiterated that India’s electoral rolls, covering nearly 95 crore voters, are continuously updated and remain a “living document.”Rejecting suggestions of CCTV surveillance inside voting compartments, Kumar said such a move would violate the constitutional guarantee of secret ballot and compromise voter privacy. He also clarified that there is currently no proposal to introduce online voting, as elections are conducted strictly in accordance with the constitution and electoral laws.
