Maharashtra CEO-led delegation heads to Colombia as international observers for elections

Mumbai, Mar 5 (PTI) A five-member delegation from Maharashtra, led by the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam, will travel to Colombia from March 6 to 10 as international observers for the elections to the Republic of Colombia, officials said on Thursday.

The Colombian congressional elections are scheduled to be held on March 8.

The delegation comprises Ashirwad Kumar, District Election Officer and Collector, Solapur; Manohar Ramchandra Parkar, Joint Chief Electoral Officer and Deputy Secretary, Maharashtra; Priyesh Lakhuchand Mahajan, Electoral Registration Officer for the 59-Ramtek Assembly Constituency and Sub-divisional Officer, Ramtek, Nagpur; and Sagar Ashok Shirke, Booth Level Officer (Talathi-Ozar), Niphad, Nashik.

The visit forms part of the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Global Engagement for Electoral Excellence (GEEE) initiative, designed to examine international best practices in electoral management whilst disseminating India's institutional experience and expertise at the global level.

Under this comprehensive exercise, specific countries have been identified and allocated to respective chief electoral officers of states for focused engagement.

Maharashtra has been assigned the Republic of Colombia for this purpose.

The President of Colombia's National Electoral Council extended the invitation to the five-member delegation headed by Chockalingam to serve as international observers in the International Observation Mission for the congressional elections.

The Indian International Institute of Democracy and Election Management has secured the requisite clearance for the visit from the Ministry of External Affairs and approval from the Election Commission of India, communicating the same to the relevant authorities through their letter dated February 10, 2026.

The delegation's visit represents India's commitment to strengthening global electoral cooperation and sharing democratic practices across nations, officials added. PTI ND NP