Kolkata, 11 December (H.S.) : The Election Commission of India has expressed strong displeasure over the failure of district magistrates and district election officers in West Bengal to propose new polling booths inside private housing complexes ahead of the Assembly elections. The Commission has termed the non-submission of even a single proposal so far as a serious lapse.

In a note sent to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, the ECI has reminded officials that under Sections 25 and 160 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is the legal responsibility of district authorities to ensure the availability of an adequate number of polling stations. According to the Commission, the absence of proposals from West Bengal directly amounts to a violation of this statutory obligation.

A senior official associated with the Commission said on Thursday morning that the ECI has instructed all district magistrates to begin an immediate survey of high-rise buildings, group housing complexes, housing associations, slum clusters, and gated communities after the publication of the draft electoral rolls on December 16. Any complex with at least 250 households or around 500 voters must be examined, and details of ground-floor rooms suitable for polling stations must be collected.

District authorities have also been asked to assess the need for additional polling booths in slum clusters. All proposals must be sent to the Commission by the end of December.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have already opposed the concept. Last month, the Chief Minister wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, arguing that setting up polling stations inside private complexes goes against established norms and could compromise fairness. She stated that polling stations should remain in government or semi-government institutions to ensure equal access for all.

BJP’s IT Cell chief and West Bengal in-charge Amit Malviya dismissed the Chief Minister’s objections, saying that voter convenience should be the priority and that housing complexes can be used as polling stations wherever feasible. He pointed out that similar arrangements already exist in several cities, including Delhi. He questioned the opposition, noting that no existing polling booth is being removed, and therefore there should be no issue.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh