Kolkata, 3 December (H.S.):
The Trinamool Congress has begun building public opinion against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) proposal to set up polling stations inside private housing complexes. The outreach campaign, launched on Wednesday, is being led by Firhad Hakim, Minister for Urban Development and Mayor of Kolkata.
Hakim started meeting office-bearers of various housing complex associations across Kolkata and its adjoining areas on Wednesday afternoon. According to party sources, the Mayor’s first objective is to understand residents’ views on the idea of installing polling booths—particularly inside high-rise residential towers.
Following these interactions, Hakim is expected to brief association representatives on the potential inconveniences that residents may face. Party insiders indicated that he will highlight possible disruptions caused by the temporary deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and election personnel inside residential premises.
The proposal to place booths within private complexes has already generated mixed reactions. One section believes such arrangements may inconvenience residents. Another group argues that it would benefit elderly and ailing voters by saving them from travelling long distances to schools or other traditional polling locations.
Trinamool’s outreach comes at a time when the ECI has decided to proceed with the proposal, disregarding objections raised earlier by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Last month, Banerjee wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, saying polling stations should remain restricted to government or semi-government establishments to safeguard transparency and neutrality.
In her letter, the Chief Minister argued that setting up booths in private buildings violates “the principle of equality” and risks creating a divide between “privileged residents” and the “general voter.”
Responding to the objections, BJP IT Cell chief and central observer for Bengal, Amit Malviya, dismissed Banerjee’s concerns. He said any suitable venue could be designated as a polling booth as long as accessibility for all voters is ensured. He added that high-rise complexes are used as polling sites in Delhi and several other cities as well.
“If no existing booth is being removed and only additional booths are being created, what exactly is the problem?” Malviya asked. “Why should improved voter convenience bother you?”
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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
