CEC Rajiv Kumar reviews poll preparedness in West Bengal ahead of Lok Sabha election

Kolkata: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday reviewed the poll preparedness in West Bengal and said that there will be a few polling stations which will be run entirely by women.
"There will be a few polling stations which will be run entirely by women. We will try to deploy female security personnel in those polling stations... Similarly, some polling stations will be established entirely by persons with disabilities. This will present an example for the society that they are no less than anyone else." said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in Kolkata.
The Election commission said that "As on the 22nd of January, 2024 the total #Electors in West Bengal stands at 7.58 Crores. Female electors number 3.73 Crores while male electors stand at 3.85 Crores. State has significant numbers of PwD, very senior citizens, and young voters enrolled."
The commission said over 80,000 Polling Stations will be set up with an average of 943 Voters per Polling Station (PS). More than 75% of these PS are in rural areas.
To encourage voting amongst different sections of the population and have inclusive elections and accessible elections, of all the Polling Stations, over a 1000 PS will be all women managed while 24 would be staffed by Persons with Disabilities.
The Commission also held a review meeting with Enforcement Agencies. A coordinated approach aided by technology was called for to curb money and muscle power and ensure better outcomes. The commission said there will be a strict vigil on interstate & international borders.
ECI said its stands steadfast in its resolve to ensure that elections happen in a festive atmosphere free of fear, violence and intimidation. The CEC also urged all voters to step out and take part in the democratic festivities.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the preparations in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
After reviewing the preparedness for the forthcoming polls, Rajiv Kumar, addressed a press conference, where he said, that strict instructions have been given to the election officials to increase the voting percentage in Uttar Pradesh.
"We have been reviewing here for three days, UP is the largest state in the state. Our endeavour is to provide the best election experience and be fair. All political parties should be given equal status so that there is no discrimination," Rajiv Kumar said.
He said that transparent elections will be ensured in the entire country, including Uttar Pradesh. He also said that the election schedule will be announced soon.
"Seven political parties came to meet us here, including state and regional parties. The demand of those political parties was that there should be fair elections and a level playing field. And all officers and police should be ordered to conduct fair elections," he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner said that this time, three apps are being launched. Through an app, voters can directly complain to the Election Commission about inducements, distribution of liquor and misuse of money during elections. Voter Helpline is another application from which voters can get information. Through the Know Your Candidate application, the voter will be able to get all the information about the candidates.