Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar was forced to abruptly end his official three-day visit to Odisha on Sunday evening due to a personal emergency. His father met with an accident in New Delhi, prompting the CEC to cancel all his scheduled programs for Monday and rush back to the national capital.
Key Election Meeting Postponed
The sudden departure led to the cancellation of a crucial meeting with booth-level officers (BLOs) in Bhubaneswar, which was slated for Monday. This meeting was significant as it was to be held ahead of the potential launch of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer, R S Gopalan, confirmed the developments to the media.
"Due to the unfortunate accident involving the CEC's father, he had to cancel all programmes scheduled for the third day, including the meeting with BLOs, and rushed back to New Delhi on Sunday evening," Gopalan stated. He added that Kumar's father is scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday. The CEO assured that the CEC will return to Odisha soon to conduct the postponed meeting with the election officials.
CEC's Appreciation for Odisha's Heritage
Before the emergency, CEC Gyanesh Kumar, who arrived in Odisha on Saturday, extensively toured several historical and cultural sites across Bhubaneswar and Puri with his wife. His itinerary included visits to the Puri Jagannath Temple, the Konark Sun Temple, the heritage village of Raghurajpur, the Dhauli Peace Pagoda, the Khandagiri-Udayagiri hills, and the Mukteswar Temple.
Gopalan mentioned that the CEC was highly appreciative of the state's rich cultural tapestry and natural beauty. "CEC has said Odisha's art, architecture, hospitality and natural beauty left a lasting impression on him. He assured that he would definitely visit the state again," the CEO said. Kumar was so impressed that he requested a Pattachitra painting, which the state officials will be sending to him shortly.
Praise for Artisans and Message of Peace
During his visit to Raghurajpur, Kumar praised the local artisans for preserving centuries-old Indian culture, traditions, and folklore through Pattachitra and other art forms. "Their work deserves the highest appreciation," he told media persons. He extended his best wishes to them and encouraged people nationwide to visit the village to experience its unique artistic legacy. The CEC was also deeply moved by a Gotipua dance performance by young dancers in the village.
At the Dhauli Peace Pagoda, Kumar viewed the historic rock edicts and interacted with monks to understand more about Buddhist culture and history. He remarked that India is globally recognized for peace and harmony and expressed hope that the message of peace from Dhauli would spread further across the world.
He also admired the living traditions at the ancient Khandagiri-Udayagiri hills and was notably impressed by the ancient Kalinga-style architecture of the Mukteswar Temple in Bhubaneswar.
Despite the curtailed visit, the CEC's experience highlighted Odisha's profound heritage, even as the administrative schedule for electoral roll revision awaits his return.
