Polling booths to be increased in Gurugram

At least 32 polling booths in Gurugram with about 1,500 voters under them will be bifurcated or have their electorate reassigned to streamline the electoral process and to bring them closer to smaller habitations, said district deputy commissioner Yash Garg

At least 32 polling booths in Gurugram with about 1,500 voters under them will be bifurcated or have their electorate reassigned to streamline the electoral process and to bring them closer to smaller habitations, said district deputy commissioner Yash Garg. The rationalisation and electorate rearrangement will be completed over the next few months, he added.

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The district administration met with representatives of political parties and state election commission officials on Friday evening and has sought their suggestions on the move and on identifying dilapidated booths. In a statement issued by the administration, these recommendations have to be submitted by August 31.

“Proposals of changing polling booths that are currently in a dilapidated condition have also been received and the department is working to rectify them,” Garg said during the meeting.

There are at least 1,211 polling stations in the four assembly constituencies of Gurugram that covers 1,255,230 voters.

“Only after receiving suggestion from political parties will the new polling booths be set up. Of the 32 booths currently under consideration, at least 21 will be bifurcated, while voters on the 11 other booths will be reassigned and added to other nearby polling booths,” said Rajendra Hooda, district election officer.

According to Hooda, the earlier rule was to have booths in areas where the number of voters was at least 1,200.

“The Election Commission of India has increased it to at least 1,500 in both urban and rural areas,” said Hooda. “Most of the booths requiring rationalisation and reassignment are located in urban areas, largely in Gurugram city and Manesar. Our teams will check whether the maximum distance that a voter will have to travel to reach polling stations is 2 kilometre or less (according to Election Commission of India rules). Likewise, a polling station cannot be in any building with religious significance where a certain group of people might have objections entering it. Other factors like the condition of building are also to be considered.”