Kolkata, April 17: The Election Commission of India announced on Friday that the number of counting centers for the upcoming two-phase elections in West Bengal at the end of this month has been reduced to 87. In the 2016 assembly elections, there were 90 centers, which increased to 108 in 2021. According to the latest notification, this number has now been decreased.
Among the 87 counting centers, the highest number will be in South 24 Parganas with 12 centers. Following that, North 24 Parganas will have 8 centers, and Hooghly will have 6. The least number of centers will be in Kalimpong, Alipurduar, and Jhargram, each with just one center.
Voting in the state will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, when the results will also be announced.
The Commission also reported that by Tuesday night, a total of 1,838,572 unauthorized campaign materials had been removed. Of these, 1,580,892 cases were related to public properties, while 225,170 cases pertained to private properties.
A large-scale campaign is underway to remove unauthorized political advertisements. According to the latest report, such materials have been extensively cleared from both public and private properties across all districts. District election officials have confirmed the removal of unauthorized promotions from public properties in their respective areas.
According to another press note from the Election Commission, the total value of items seized under this campaign in West Bengal has reached ₹427 crores. This includes ₹21 crores in cash, ₹81 crores worth of liquor, ₹100 crores in drugs and other narcotics, ₹54 crores in precious metals, and ₹172 crores in free distribution items and other goods.
The Commission credited these seizures to the efforts of 2,728 flying squad teams (FSTs) and 3,142 static surveillance teams, which are continuously monitoring and taking action.
The Commission also emphasized that law enforcement officials must ensure that the public does not face any inconvenience during inspections and checks. Additionally, it was noted that district-level complaint committees have been established to address public grievances promptly.
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