Booth reconfiguration plans spark political row in Bengal

Kolkata, Aug 29 (PTI) A proposed polling booth reconfiguration in West Bengal has set off a political slugfest, with the TMC cautioning the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) against bias, BJP alleging partisanship, and Congress and CPI(M) calling the move flawed.

The number of polling booths in the state is set to rise by nearly 14,000, taking the total from just over 80,000 to around 94,000, with each accommodating 1,200 voters instead of the existing 1,500.

Political parties have until September 8 to file objections.

At an all-party meeting convened by CEO Manoj Agarwal here on Friday, the TMC said it welcomed the increase in the number of booths, but flagged concerns about voters' access and the EC's credibility.

"We have said extra booths should be within the same polling station so that voters don't have to walk two kilometres away to cast their ballot," state minister Aroop Biswas told reporters, adding, "If the referee is not fair, how can the game be fair? There cannot be any attempt to satisfy one political party. We are not satisfied with this meeting." The TMC, represented by Biswas and MP Partha Bhowmik, insisted that "under no circumstances should voters be deprived of their rights" and accused the EC of attempting a "mass deletion drive" through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Warning of a major agitation, Biswas said, "West Bengal will not have an SIR at anyone's behest. If needed, we will march with 10 lakh people to the Election Commission in New Delhi." His comments echoed TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's threat a day earlier.

The BJP, meanwhile, turned the heat on the CEO's office, questioning the appointment of booth-level officers (BLOs) and the neutrality of district election officials.

Senior leader Shishir Bajoria alleged, "Even the Left asked, how is it possible all DEOs file identical reports? With such a partisan CEO office, how can there be a fair election?" He charged that over 40 per cent of BLOs were temporary appointees aligned with the state government.

"There are five times more government employees available. Why temporary BLOs? We will formally complain," Bajoria said, adding, "How can polls be conducted in booths that saw post-poll communal violence in 2021?" On TMC's criticism of the SIR, Bajoria argued, "There have been 13 SIRs before. In 2002, 28 lakh names were struck off. Nobody shouted then. In 2026, TMC will not be in power, that's why they are panicking now." The Congress joined the chorus, with leaders Ashutosh Chattopadhyay, Khwaja Ahmed and Mrinal Naskar carrying placards reading "No Political SIR." Terming the deliberations "an incomplete meeting," Chattopadhyay alleged, "It's unbelievable that booth distribution has drawn no complaints. In South Kolkata, booths are being run out of cycle stands. Some DEOs are speaking like TMC spokespersons." The CPI(M)-led Left Front, led by former MP Samik Lahiri, also tore into the reports submitted by district election officers, calling them "a bunch of lies." He said, "By suppressing facts, transparent elections are not possible. District magistrates gave false reports." With nearly 94,000 polling booths set to dot Bengal in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly polls, the political battle appears to be shifting beyond the ground, to a contest over who sets the rules of the game, the Election Commission or the state's political heavyweights, political observers said. PTI PNT MNB