Only voters allowed within 100 metres of polling stations in Bengal: EC

The Election Commission of India has enforced strict measures for West Bengal’s April 23 polls, including 100-metre security perimeters, multi-level voter verification, and door-to-door slip distribution to ensure free, fair, and disturbance-free voting across 152 constituencies

Kolkata: The Election Commission has put in place a series of measures to ensure free and peaceful voting across 152 constituencies in West Bengal during the first phase of elections on April 23, including demarcating a 100-metre perimeter around each polling station to regulate entry, a senior official said on Saturday.

“The 100-metre perimeter is being marked to maintain order and prevent unauthorised access near polling stations. Only electors will be allowed inside,” the official said. Booth-level officers (BLOs) and other government staff will remain stationed outside this boundary, where initial verification of voter documents will be carried out, he said.

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Within the restricted zone, an additional layer of checking will be in place, requiring voter documents to be verified again at two tables before entry into the polling station. The measure is aimed at preventing bogus voting, the official said. “The idea is to have multiple levels of verification so that only genuine voters can cast their votes,” he added.

The poll panel has also issued instructions regarding voter slip distribution. BLOs have been directed to deliver slips door-to-door, while presiding officers will maintain records of voters who could not be reached and the reasons for the same.

On polling day, if a voter who did not receive the slip turns up at the booth, presiding officers will verify their identity by matching their name and photograph with the electoral rolls before allowing them to vote.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has reiterated that no disturbances will be tolerated on polling day. At a virtual meeting, he directed officials to take immediate action in case of any untoward incident and warned that any negligence in maintaining law and order could lead to suspension of the officer-in-charge, officials said. The EC said it is taking steps at multiple levels to ensure that polling is conducted in a free and fair manner.