New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has abruptly called off Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s two-day visit of Chhattisgarh, which was to begin on Wednesday and continue through Thursday.
As per the original schedule, Kumar was to travel to Dantewada district to offer prayers at the Danteshwari Mata temple, a prominent shrine in the Bastar region. He was also due to visit the Chitrakoot waterfall in Bastar and the historic Bhoramdev temple complex in Kawardha district.
In a letter issued on Tuesday, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Chhattisgarh had formally designated Kumar as a State Guest for the duration of his proposed visit and directed concerned authorities to extend full protocol facilities accordingly, as reported by The Indian Express.
The same communication later conveyed the cancellation, stating: “It is informed that the Election Commission has postponed the Chhattisgarh visit programme of Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner, and other senior officials of the Commission, due to unavoidable reasons. The revised date of the visit will be communicated separately once it is received from the Commission.”
Move Follows Delhi Confrontation
This is not the first time Kumar’s scheduled programmes have been cancelled in recent weeks. In late September, the Commission deferred his planned visits to Meerut and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, where he was to address regional conferences of Electoral Literacy Clubs and interact with students and first-time voters as part of its Gen-Z outreach drive.
Officials described those cancellations as “routine” rescheduling necessitated by logistical constraints, venue availability and competing official commitments.