Voting centres inside high-rise residential complexes in New Town spark questions over booth arrangement

In a notable development ahead of the Assembly election, several polling stations have been set up inside high-rise residential complexes in New Town under the Rajarhat New Town constituency. The constituency includes urban, rural, and NKDA areas, and the recent changes have led to the creation of new voting arrangements within private housing complexes for the first time.

According to the revised setup, five new polling stations have been established inside residential complexes in the area, collectively covering more than 3,000 voters. Earlier, the number of booths in the constituency stood at 315, which was increased to 316 after a polling station was added inside the Balaka Housing Complex during the previous election cycle.

In the current arrangement, the total number of polling stations has increased to 320, with all newly added booths located inside high-rise residential complexes. These include Uniworld City in Action Area III, where booths 317 and 318 cater to around 1,300 voters combined, Rosedale housing complex with booth 319 serving around 150 voters, and Sukhobrishti complex hosting booth 320 with 677 voters.

Residents of these housing complexes have welcomed the move, stating that they will no longer need to travel to distant rural polling stations as in previous elections. They also claimed that earlier voting processes required them to visit nearby rural booths under Patherghata and Jyangra-Hatiara Gram Panchayat areas, where some voters alleged facing pressure from local political workers.

However, the revised booth arrangement has triggered political debate. Trinamool Congress leaders have questioned the decision, alleging that unusually small voter counts at some polling stations suggest irregular planning. Party representatives also claimed that booth allocation was done without the usual all-party consultation process. Meanwhile, Election Commission sources maintain that the restructuring has been carried out strictly in accordance with established rules and guidelines.