Election Commission Expands Polling Access with 57 New High-Rise Stations in Kolkata Region
A senior Election Commission official announced on Wednesday that the EC will establish polling stations in 57 additional residential high-rise buildings across Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and East Burdwan. This move aims to enhance voter convenience for the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.
Initial List and Selection Process
Earlier, the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's office submitted a list of 78 residential high-rises, each with at least 300 to 500 voters, to the EC for setting up polling booths. Of these, 21 buildings already had polling stations on their premises. The official stated, "We will set up polling stations in the remaining 57 high-rise buildings this time," ensuring broader accessibility for urban voters.
Booth Rationalization Delayed Due to Voter List Issues
However, booth rationalization in Bengal has been put on hold as the final voter lists are unavailable. According to the EC's revised schedule, a decision regarding booth rationalization was to be made by February 25. The last date for publishing the final electoral roll is February 28, but this list is unlikely to include over 60 lakh names due to ongoing scrutiny.
The Supreme Court has entrusted judicial officers with the responsibility of scrutinizing documents and final disposal for these excluded names. In an order passed on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed that if verification for the 'logical discrepancy/unmapped category' remains incomplete by February 28, the EC may publish the final list followed by supplements. "Such supplements shall be published on a continuous basis as soon as the pending exercise is completed in part or in full," the order stated.
Impact on Polling Station Reorganization
An official explained, "Since the number of voters is not yet finalized and will not be on February 28, as the supplementary lists will be published then as directed by the Supreme Court, reorganization of polling stations is not taking place. Only 57 additional booths will be added for high-rise buildings." The Commission will send proposals for setting up these polling booths through District Electoral Officers.
Current Booth Statistics and Future Plans
Bengal currently has 80,681 polling booths. Before the Summary Revision of electoral rolls began, there was a need to create approximately 14,000 additional booths based on voter numbers. The Commission also noted the possibility of reorganization due to over 58 lakh names being excluded from the draft Summary Revision list.
Previously, the EC stated that new booths would be created if there were more than 1,200 voters. However, as the Summary Revision work is incomplete, calculations on voter additions or removals are unavailable. In this situation, the Commission has decided that the previous booth arrangement will remain in place for now, ensuring stability amid the electoral process.
