West Bengal CEO launches portal for polling personnel ahead of 2026 polls

Kolkata, Sep 18 (PTI) To prepare a comprehensive database of election manpower for the 2026 West Bengal polls, the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), on Thursday launched a portal, an official said.

The portal, emms.wb.gov.in, was unveiled virtually by the CEO's office in the presence of senior officials, including Additional CEO Arindam Niyogi, Deputy CEO Dr. Sumanta Roy, and NIC officials from Kolkata and districts, he said.

Officers from all 24 districts also joined the launch.

"The new system assumes significance with the expected increase of nearly 14,000 polling stations and the redeployment of many former polling personnel as booth level officers (BLOs)," he said.

Around 32,000 offices are set to be enrolled in the database to ensure smooth election management.

Key features of the upgraded portal include randomisation of polling personnel, training on demand, online tests, generation of intimation letters, and monitoring of election experience, he said.

District officials were given operational training and a detailed activity timeline, including data entry schedules and polling personnel training plans, he emphasised.

With the launch of the portal, offices will now directly enter and manage data online, streamlining manpower preparation for the 2026 polls, the official explained. PTI SCH MNB