Consent or not, EC can set up poll booths in housing complexes
Times of India | 3 January 2026
Kolkata: Consent or lack of it will not matter if Election Commission wants to set up polling booths in housing complexes.
District election officers (DEO) of Kolkata North, Kolkata South and five districts have sent lists mentioning 70-80 housing complexes where booths can be set up to the chief electoral officer (CEO). The complexes belong to two categories — ones that have between 300 and 500 voters and those with more than 500 voters.
"We have received the names of 70-80 housing complexes from the DEOs of seven districts, including Kolkata North and Kolkata South. We are compiling the information before sending it to Nirvachan Sadan. EC will take a final call," an official at the CEO's office said on Friday.
BJP is the only party to submit a "wish list" of residential complexes.
"Once the complexes are selected, proposals for setting up polling booths will be sent to the respective residents' welfare associations," an official said. EC, however, indicated that booths can be set up even if residents withhold consent.
"EC applies its constitutional power to requisition private vehicles for poll duty. If necessary, the same power will be invoked to requisition private properties to set up polling booths," the official said.
Senior deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti had on Tuesday told the DEOs of eight districts — Kolkata North, Kolkata South, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Burdwan and West Burdwan — to send by Dec 31 lists of housing complexes. Officials said only the West Burdwan DEO is yet to send a list.
A Bengal BJP neta said they had handed over to Election Commission a list containing the names of about 400 housing complexes in the Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Jadavpur and Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituencies, and Bidhannagar and Rajarhat-New Town assembly segments. "Our list covers a total of 28 assembly segments in and around Kolkata," he said.
The CEO's office had initially asked the DEOs of Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas to identify large housing complexes where polling stations could be set up and send a list by Dec 6. Only Kolkata South DEO responded to the order, identifying two housing complexes.
On Dec 10, EC had sent a written communication to the DEOs to start a survey, immediately after the publication of the draft SIR list on Dec 16, of high-rise buildings, group housing societies, slums and gated societies with at least 250 houses or 500 voters.
EC mooted the plan to improve the voting percentage in Kolkata and its adjoining areas. In the last Lok Sabha polls, Kolkata recorded only 48% polling. According to an EC official, setting up booths in large housing complexes increased voters' turnout in Delhi by 15% in the last assembly polls.