NEW DELHI: The Delhi election office has announced the addition of 70 new polling stations for the upcoming assembly elections. This comes as part of a rationalisation process aimed at improving accessibility and reducing congestion at high-traffic polling locations.
According to Alice Vaz, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi, 53 polling stations were removed due to damaged or demolished buildings, while 123 new locations were added, resulting in a net increase of 70 polling stations across the city.
The move is in line with guidelines from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure better voter convenience and access.
“A total of 53 polling station locations were removed due to damaged or demolished buildings, while 123 new polling station locations were added. This resulted in a net increase of 70 polling station locations, ensuring better accessibility and convenience for voters across Delhi,” Vaz said in a statement.
The CEO also reported receiving over 2.25 lakh forms to add new voters, update information, or change addresses. Thursday marked the last date for filing claims and objections, which had started on October 29. However, the process will continue beyond this date as part of the continuous updation of the electoral roll.
The announcement follows recent allegations from the ruling AAP regarding possible manipulation of the electoral roll. Chief Minister Atishi accused the Union government of deleting votes of AAP supporters through official channels on a large scale.
In response, the CEO’s office clarified that house-to-house (H2H) verification has been underway since August, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visiting each household.