Draft list of polling stations out in Bihar, Covid curb on no. of voters at a booth lifted

The process of rationalizing polling stations and inviting claims/objections from political parties has begun in Bihar for the 2024 general election. Each polling station will have a maximum of 1,500 voters, and the number of booths is expected to be reduced from the 2020 assembly polls. Claims/objections will be received until August 19 and disposed of by August 25. The total number of electors in Bihar is 7.58 crore, as per the updated voters list.

The process for rationalisation of polling stations and inviting claims /objections from political parties on location of booths began in Bihar from Thursday with the publication of draft list of all polling stations, each of which would have 1,500 voters at the maximum in the next general election in 2024, as per Election Commission (EC) guidelines, officials familiar with the matter said.

At a polling booth in Bihar during the 2020 assembly polls, which were held under the Covid pandemic shadow. (ANI)

The next general election in 2024, scheduled to be held in April-May, would be the first major election after the coronavirus pandemic in Bihar, where booths would have 1,500 voters.

In 2020 Bihar assembly polls, the first election in the country during the pandemic, the number of voters in each polling station was restricted to 1,000 to ensure social distance. In subsequent bypolls too, the number of voters in each booth was limited to 1000, officials said.

On Thursday, district magistrates, who are also district election officers (DEOs), held a meeting with representatives of all recognised parties, MLAs and MPs in their respective districts to apprise them about the rationalisation process and also inform of the publication of the draft list of polling stations.

In the 2020 assembly polls in Bihar, 1,06,500 polling stations were set up. Now, with the restrictions on the number of electors casting their votes at a booth eased, officials in the state election department said the total number of booths would be around 80,000. “ The number would be finalised only after the disposal of claims/objections received from political parties and other formalities regarding rationalisation in coming months. But, the number of booths would certainly be less than in the 2020 assembly polls,” said another election officer, who didn’t wish to be named.

Sources said the claims/objections from political parties regarding polling stations would be received till August 19 and disposed of by August 25.

Officials said the ground verification of polling stations has already been done in July on various parameters set by the EC, like whether a polling station is located in dilapidated building or not, whether electors have to cross rivers/ canals/valleys to reach the polling station where they are enrolled or whether a ramp is available or not.

State’s chief electoral officer H R Srinivasa could not be reached for his comment.

The total number of electors in Bihar is 7.58 crore, of which 3.97 crore are male, 3.60 crore are female and 2,418 belong to the third gender, as per final publication of updated voters list as on January 27, 2023.