TMC, Oppn slam CEO for fast-tracking booth mapping
The Statesman | 16 October 2025According to senior officials, data from three districts — Jhargram, West Midnapore and Alipurduar — have already been uploaded to the Election Commission of India’s website. The booth mapping completion stands at 62.94 per cent in West Midnapore, 51.36 per cent in Jhargram, and 53.73 per cent in Alipurduar. Beyond these, several other districts are in various stages of progress — Purulia (61.29 per cent), Kalimpong (64.27 per cent), Malda (54.49 per cent), and Kolkata Uttar (55.35 per cent). The process in North 24-Parganas has reached around 45 per cent, while in South 24-Parganas, the progress hovers between 50 and 55 per cent, sources in the CEO’s office said.
The mapping process, which determines voter distribution across polling stations based on the 2002 SIR benchmark, is being expedited before the Diwali holidays beginning 18 October. “District magistrates, who also serve as district election officers, have been directed to complete the process quickly. An internal deadline was earlier set for 15 October,” a senior official said, adding that voters can verify their data online through their EPIC numbers. However, political reactions have been sharp.
The Trinamul Congress alleged that the exercise was being “hurried through without adequate transparency” and could potentially “disenfranchise voters in rural and minority-dominated areas. Senior Trinamul Congress leader and West Bengal minister for irrigation and waterways, Manas Bhunia, said that his party, the Trinamul Congress, will face the eventuality in the Assembly.
“Our party’s stand on the SIR is clear. Our supreme leader, Mamata Banerjee, and our party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, have given clear directions that we will face the eventuality in the Assembly and respond through legal measures and grassroots movements. The Election Commission must ensure that no genuine voter is left out or shifted arbitrarily. We suspect the sudden rush is politically motivated,” said Mr Bhunia.
Echoing similar concerns, CPI-M state secretary Md Salim said the process appeared to be “guided by the BJP’s political interests.” “The CEO’s office must act independently, not under pressure from Delhi. Mapping must be done meticulously, not under a stopwatch,” he said. Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also accused the Commission of selective urgency. “When it comes to cleaning up electoral rolls or booth restructuring, the CEO acts with lightning speed, but complaints from opposition parties take months to be addressed,” he remarked.
With less than six months left for the general elections, the booth mapping exercise has turned into yet another political flashpoint between the ruling Trinamul Congress and the opposition in Bengal.
