West Bengal counting centres cut to 77 by ECI ahead of vote count
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, 30 April further reduced the number of vote-counting centres in West Bengal to 77, down from 87 just two weeks prior, ahead of the counting of votes for the state's two-phase Assembly elections. The office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) confirmed that votes for all 294 Assembly constituencies will be tallied across these 77 centres, with a district-wise list and addresses published officially.
A Series of Reductions
The revision marks the third downward adjustment in counting centre numbers in recent weeks. In the 2016 Assembly elections, West Bengal had 90 counting centres. That figure was raised to 108 for the 2021 Assembly elections. On 17 April, the Commission reduced the count to 87, and the latest order brings it further down to 77. State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agrawal indicated the number could be trimmed further, stating:
