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West Bengal SEC Orders Six Districts Ready Before Durga Puja
West Bengal is preparing to hold elections for some city and town councils.
The State Election Commission told six districts to finish their preparation before the Durga Puja holidays.
Officials must check voter lists, decide polling locations and organise election workers.
They also need to plan how many police officers will be required.
The commission is still deciding whether to use existing electronic voting machines or obtain new ones.
This decision could affect whether voting happens in one day or several phases.
A draft list about reserved seats is expected in September.
The final list is planned for the last week of October after people can raise objections.
The West Bengal State Election Commission asked six districts to complete civic-election preparations before Durga Puja.
The directive covers Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Purba Medinipur.
Preparations include delimitation, seat reservations, voter-list revision, polling-station finalisation, EVM management and staff deployment.
The commission requested police-personnel requirements and reviewed plans for secure strong rooms and election security.
The timing and number of poll phases remain uncertain because EVM availability has not been decided.
- Who
- The West Bengal State Election Commission, led in the meeting by State Election Commissioner Krishna Gupta, and officials from six districts.
- What
- The commission directed the districts to complete preparations for pending municipal elections before Durga Puja.
- Where
- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Purba Medinipur in West Bengal.
- When
- Preparations must be completed before the Durga Puja holidays; a draft reservation list is expected around mid-September and the final list by the last week of October.
- Why
- To allow the electoral process to move forward without delay after the festive season and prevent preparatory work from remaining pending.
Key facts
- Districts involved
- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Purba Medinipur
- Preparations reviewed
- Delimitation, seat reservations, EVM management, voter rolls, polling stations and polling-personnel deployment
- Police planning
- The commission requested estimates of police personnel needed for free and peaceful municipal elections.
- Draft reservation list
- Likely to be published around the middle of September
- Final reservation list
- Targeted for the last week of October after objections are considered
- EVM decision
- The commission has not decided whether to use Assembly-election EVMs or procure new machines.
- Pending municipal elections
- Elections remain pending for five municipal corporations and several municipalities across West Bengal.
Quotes
A senior State Election Commission official
An unnamed senior official of the West Bengal State Election Commission
“The availability of EVMs will determine, to some extent, whether the elections can be conducted on a single day or whether multiple phases will be required. No final decision has been taken on this yet.”
theprint.in
“All election-related preparations have to be completed before Durga Puja. We want the districts to be ready in all respects so that the process can move forward immediately after the festive season.”
theprint.in
Sources
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