BMC to add around 4000 polling booths for the Upcoming Civic Polls

As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections approach, as part of its preparation the corporation has come up with adding around 4,000 polling booths as the situation of pandemic demands. Presently, in total there are 7,900 booths which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will have to increase to 12,000. Every booth has the capacity of 1,400-1,500 voters at present, but for the February 2022 polls, only 800 voters will be allowed. 

 

The State Election Commission (SEC) gave the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) the consent to begin with the preparation for the civic polls scheduled in February 2022 keeping in view the ongoing situation of the Covid 19 pandemic. “A detailed plan is being made for conducting the upcoming civic polls keeping in mind the situation of Pandemic in the country.

 

Increasing the number of booths will be our priority and creating awareness in the citizen through awareness campaigns so that the voter's list is upgraded. The main aim right now is ensuring that there is no trouble to voters”, stated Suresh Kakani, the Additional Municipal Commissioner. 

 

It was asked by the State Election Commission (SEC) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to start working on the new voter's list based on the voter's list of 2019 state assembly elections. As no census data after the 2011 census is available, so instead of the delimitation process, a rectification process will be carried out. “We will make sure that every staff in the polling booth is fully vaccinated. The SEC has also asked us to ensure Covid appropriate norms are followed when the arrangements are being made”, stated the official. 

 

For the upcoming BMC polls, draft boundaries of electoral wards will be published with taking due advice and objections before finalizing anything, stated the SEC. The SEC in a written response to Congress said that the final ward boundaries will be published after the consideration of suggestion and objection.