SIR in Bengal: ECI tells DMs, DEOs to ignore party suggestions on polling booths in pvt housing complexes
Kolkata, Dec 11 (LatestNewsX) – The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told district magistrates (DMs), who also serve as district electoral officers (DEOs), not to heed any proposals from political parties about setting up polling places in multi‑storey private housing complexes for next year’s vital Assembly elections in West Bengal. Sources close to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office said the Commission’s note came after party leaders started arguing over whether such complexes should be used for polling booths. One side says the idea would be a nuisance for residents, while the other argues that putting booths inside the buildings would benefit elderly and ill voters who otherwise have to travel to a typical polling site, often a school. The directive to ignore party suggestions follows the ECI’s strong reaction on Wednesday to the fact that none of the DMs or DEOs had put forward a single recommendation of high‑rise housing complexes suitable for polling stations. In a stern letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, the Commission pointed out that, because no proposals had come in, it considered the DEOs to have failed in their statutory duties under Sections 25 and 160 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The same letter ordered that, after the draft electoral roll goes public on December 16, all DEOs must conduct immediate surveys of high‑rise buildings, group housing societies, resident welfare association (RWA) colonies, slums and gated communities that house at least 250 residences or 500 voters. They must then supply details of available ground‑floor rooms and identify suitable spaces for polling booths within those premises. The Commission has also asked the Chief Electoral Officer’s office to finish this work by December 31.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
