Kolkata, 3 December (H.S.):
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, West Bengal is set to create nearly 15,000 additional polling stations, with a significant share expected to be located inside private housing complexes. Officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said the expansion is part of a broader plan to accommodate population growth and rising urban density.
According to CEO office sources, the state had 80,681 polling booths during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. For the 2026 Assembly polls, the number will rise to 95,668—an increase of 14,987 new booths.
In preparation, the Election Commission has directed district magistrates, who also serve as district election officers, to identify large housing complexes—especially high-rise towers—where new polling stations can be set up.
A senior CEO office official said, “Based on these instructions, it is anticipated that a major share of the 14,987 additional booths will be accommodated inside housing complexes. Most of these are likely to be located in Kolkata and major district towns where high-rise residential clusters are common.”
The Election Commission believes that establishing polling booths inside such complexes will help manage crowds more efficiently and make voting more accessible, especially in densely populated urban areas.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
