The Election Commission of India (ECI) has raised concerns about the progress of poll preparations in South 24 Parganas and Cooch Behar districts in West Bengal for the upcoming Assembly elections. Following a virtual meeting with officials last week, the ECI identified shortcomings in poll readiness in these districts. Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharati expressed dissatisfaction with the situation during a recent meeting with district electoral officers.
Bharati is expected to conduct further virtual meetings with electoral officers, emphasizing the need to expedite poll preparations. The full bench of the ECI is scheduled to visit West Bengal on March 8 for extensive meetings on March 9 and 10 to assess voter document adjudication and poll arrangements. Meanwhile, CPI(M) members staged a night-long protest in Kolkata demanding the completion of judicial adjudication before announcing polling dates.
The CPI(M) demonstration continued into Thursday morning, with leaders insisting on meeting the CEO of West Bengal. The final voter list, released on February 28, excludes names pending judicial adjudication, with supplementary lists to follow based on progress in the adjudication process.
