Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone of the new modern office building of the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission at Awadh Vihar Yojna, calling it a “historic step” in strengthening India’s democratic framework.
Built at a cost of ₹50 crore, the six-storey building will span 2,618.59 sq. meters and include advanced facilities such as rainwater harvesting, an underground water tank, sewage treatment plant, CCTV surveillance, passenger lifts, and modern electrification.
Addressing the gathering, CM Yogi said, “Democracy’s greatest strength is the people, who are not just voters but Janardans. It is from Uttar Pradesh that India derives its stature as the world’s largest democracy.”
Highlighting the scale of elections in the state, he noted that more than 12 crore voters participate in the three-tier Panchayati Raj elections—a number larger than the population of many nations. The State Election Commission oversees elections for 57,600 gram panchayats, 826 block panchayats, 75 district panchayats, 17 municipal corporations, 199 municipalities, 544 nagar panchayats, and over 14,000 councillors.
The Chief Minister stressed that ignoring public expectations is never an option in a democracy, as the people hold the ultimate power to decide every five years. He reiterated that achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047 is not possible without a developed Uttar Pradesh, and strong democratic institutions will play a crucial role in that journey.
So far, the Election Commission had been functioning from rented premises. With the new building, CM Yogi said, the Commission will gain “efficiency, stability, and autonomy,” adding that it will stand as a model office for transparency and modern governance.
The event was attended by Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, State Election Commissioner Rajan Pratap Singh, and heads of state commissions, including the Women’s Commission and SC-ST Commission.
