CEO sets Sept 8 deadline for booth rationalisation feedback; TMC seeks same-premises voting

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal on Friday set a September 8, 5 pm deadline for parties to submit objections on the state’s booth rationalisation exercise, under which 13,816 new polling stations may be added to the existing 80,681.

The move follows the Election Commission’s decision to reduce voters per booth from 1,500 to 1,200.

After a review meeting, TMC leaders said they support the reduction but warned against shifting voters from their current polling premises. The party also reiterated opposition to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal. TMC’s Aroop Biswas, MP Partha Bhowmik, and minister Pulak Roy attended.