2 Kol South high-rises’ names sent for poll booth but RWAs still uncertain
Times of India | 7 December 2025
Kolkata: Only two housing complexes in the Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency have so far agreed to host polling booths on their premises for the upcoming elections.
One of the two names forwarded by the Kolkata South DEO is Silver Spring, which initially agreed to the proposal before reconsidering its position.
But most high-rises in the city continue to reject the EC's proposal to set up poll booths at the complexes, fearing being caught in a "political crossfire".
Silver Spring, too, is having a rethink despite its name being sent to the EC for a poll booth. The complex's residents' welfare association (RWA) said it would convene a board meeting next Sunday before taking a final decision. "We were under the impression that the consent to the proposal was mandatory. But after we were apprised of the actual situation last week, we will hold a board meeting where all residents will decide what we actually want to do," a member said.
Earlier this week, Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal asked DEOs across six districts to identify large housing complexes with at least 500 voters, where poll booths could be set up, and send a list by Dec 6. "Only the DEO of Kolkata South has sent names of two large housing complexes. We have not received any list from the other five DEOs. We have asked them to send the list by Monday," an official in the CEO's office said. The DEOs of Kolkata North, Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas are yet to send their updated lists.
TOI had reported that Silver Spring RWA said their consent came under review after a meeting last week at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where mayor Firhad Hakim addressed representatives and CM Mamata Banerjee joined on a speaker phone to highlight the "pitfalls" of permitting polling booths inside gated complexes. The pitfalls, she cited, included security risks, entry of outsiders, possible political disturbances and the need to accommodate central forces for an extended period.
Sunrise Tower in Beleghata withdrew its consent after initially agreeing. "We, too, were under the impression that the consent was mandatory. But after we learnt that no other complex had agreed to it, we sent a mail to the DEO and withdrew our consent," an RWA member said.
The hesitation comes even as the ec pushes for the measure to boost turnout in Kolkata. A senior commission official claimed the move had paid off in Salt Lake, where voters in complexes, such as Labani, Purbachal and Srabani, had been allowing polling stations on their premises for years. The official added that Delhi saw a 15% rise in turnout in its last Assembly elections partly due to polling stations shifting into gated communities.
But the suggestion has caused unease among RWAs in Kolkata, who say they feel they feel like being treated as "pawns" in a political tussle between the EC and the state. Since Nov 19, the poll panel has been approaching multiple high-rises with 500 or more voters, requesting access to community halls or common areas. Many RWAs, however, have refused permission, arguing they cannot be expected to make politically fraught decisions in isolation. "Why should we be caught in a political crossfire? If there is a specific EC instruction applying to all high-rises, we will comply. But if the EC wants us to decide on our own, we can't do that," said an office bearer of a Kankurgachhi complex.