About 57 housing complexes set to get polling booths

Kolkata: Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India has approved the setting up of polling stations inside 57 large residential housing complexes across Bengal to improve voter accessibility in urban pockets.

With these additions, the total number of polling booths in the state will increase from 80,681 to 80,738. The new booths will be distributed district-wise as follows: South 24-Parganas (25), North 24-Parganas (16), North Kolkata (5), South Kolkata (1), Howrah (4), Hooghly (3) and East Burdwan (3).

Election officials had earlier identified 78 housing complexes with an estimated 300–500 electors each. Of these, 21 already have polling stations within their premises, while the remaining 57 will now receive dedicated booths. Officials said the move is aimed at easing access for residents of large gated communities who were previously attached to polling stations outside their complexes.

However, authorities have not yet released the names or detailed list of the housing complexes where the new booths will be set up. The decision comes even as the Commission has kept broader booth rationalisation on hold pending final publication of the electoral roll, opting instead for targeted additions in high-density residential clusters.