Kolkata, April 4 (NationPress) In anticipation of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted approval for the establishment of 4,660 auxiliary polling stations in regions where the voter population exceeds 1200.

Additionally, the ECI has sanctioned the relocation of 321 polling stations to better serve the electorate.

With the introduction of these auxiliary polling stations, the total number of polling locations, including auxiliary stations, will reach 85,379 for the two-phase Assembly elections scheduled for later this month.

The ECI's secretary, Sujeet Kumar Mishra, has communicated the permissions for these auxiliary booths and the relocations to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.

In the official communication, it was emphasized that any changes to polling stations must ensure that all voters affected are individually notified by the relevant authorities.

“Broad publicity regarding the establishment of auxiliary polling stations and the relocation of polling stations should be implemented in the respective areas, with recognized political parties kept informed,” the communication stated, a copy of which is with IANS.

The two-phase elections in West Bengal are set for April 23 and April 29. The first phase will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase will encompass the remaining 142 constituencies.

Vote counting will occur on May 4.

This time, the ECI is committed to ensuring a completely free, fair, and violence-free voting process in West Bengal, deploying a record 2,400 companies of security personnel, comprising members from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), India Reserve Battalion (IRB), and other state armed police forces.

Currently, 480 companies are already stationed in West Bengal as part of advance security arrangements.

Following the conclusion of the second phase of polling on April 29, 200 companies of CAPF will remain in West Bengal for the security of EVMs and counting centers until the counting process is completed.

Meanwhile, 500 companies of CAPF will continue their deployment in the state to maintain law and order and to prevent incidents of post-poll violence, which were prevalent after both the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

According to the notification, the remaining 1,700 companies of personnel from CAPF, IRB, and armed police forces from other states will be withdrawn after the polling on April 29 and return to their respective bases.