New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): The Election Commission of India on Tuesday flagged off the second phase of the International Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) 2026 for the ongoing Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

According to an official press note, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated the programme at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in New Delhi.

As part of the second phase, 34 delegates from 17 countries, including representatives from foreign missions in Delhi and a representative from International IDEA, will be participating in the programme.

The press note said the delegates will visit Tamil Nadu and West Bengal between April 22 and April 23, where they will observe election-related arrangements, including dispatch and distribution centres, District Control Rooms and Media Monitoring Centres. They will also witness the polling process on the morning of April 23.

Earlier, during the first phase of the programme, delegates visited Assam, Kerala and Puducherry from April 8 to April 9.

According to the ECI, the delegates were given demonstrations of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at IIDEM and participated in mock poll exercises to gain hands-on experience of India's voting process. They also interacted with election experts and showed keen interest in technological interventions and administrative safeguards adopted in the country's electoral system.

The press note further stated that the IEVP is a flagship program of the ECI for international cooperation and engagement with the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of other countries and International Organisations, which provides a comprehensive overview of India's electoral framework, institutional mechanisms, and operational architecture, while familiarising foreign EMB delegates with best practices and innovations in election management.

The IEVP showcases the strengths of India's electoral system to the international community and shares the best practices adopted in the world's largest democracy for the conduct of elections, it added. (ANI)