AFTER AN all-party meeting on Friday, Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal asked all parties to submit suggestions on booth rationalisation within September 8.Agarwal told mediapersons later, “After getting specific suggestions, our officials will meet representatives of political parties in districts. Then, we will finalise the booth map.”However, during the booth rationalisation meeting, the topic of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) also cropped up.According to sources, representatives of BJP raised slogans in the meeting. TMC leaders chanted counter slogans, claiming that SIR would not be allowed in Bengal.After analysis, the CEO decided to increase almost 14 thousand booths in this state. The CEO’s office already made a draft list of new booths.All parties participated, including major parties such as the TMC, BJP, Congress and the CPI(M).According to a draft list of the Election Commission, West Bengal now has 80,681 booths. According to the poll panel’s proposal, the total number of booths will increase to 13,816. However, 37 booths will be abolished and 1253 booths will be reorganised. As many as 703 booths will be shifted from their old address.Story continues below this adAccording to sources, almost all parties opposed the plan to shift the polling premises if the booths increase. After the meeting, TMC leader and state PWD minister Pulak Roy said, “We are not against booth rationalisation. But our proposal is very simple, when you increase the number of booths, don’t change the polling premises. In many cases, change of polling premises means voters would have to go more than two-three kilometres to cast their votes, which is not acceptable.”BJP leader Sisir Bajoria said, “We have given names of almost 1,000 booths where after the 2021 Assembly election, post-poll violence happened, intimidation and communal tension also prevailed in such booths. So, those booths should be shifted.”Some representatives of political parties alleged to the CEO that, during district level all-party meetings, their signatures were forged. However, the CEO’s office denied that allegation.A senior ECI official, “This booth rationalisation is not final. Because SIR is yet to be implemented in West Bengal. After that, seeing the number of voters increase or decrease, we may further decide to increase or decrease the booths. However, it was finalised that no booth will have more than 1200 voters.”Story continues below this adAccording to ECI, in three districts of 23, more than 1,000 booths will be increased. These three districts are South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad. In South 24 Parganas, 1,551 booths will be increased. After that in North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad number of booths will be increased to 1,396 and 1,251 respectively.The minimum booths will be increased in Kalimpong – 16 – and in south and north Kolkata, a total of 26 booths will be increased.