Maharashtra Elections 2024: Why 75 polling booths in Mumbai to be set up in makeshift pandals?
75 of Mumbai's 2,537 polling stations will be housed in temporary pandals for the upcoming Assembly elections due to a shortage of permanent structures. This follows a 'rationalization' process aimed at improving voter experience by reducing queues and relocating polling stations.
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FollowAs Maharashtra gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, 75 of the 2,537 polling stations in Mumbai city district will be set up in makeshift pandals due to the lack of permanent buildings, according to district collector Sanjay Yadav. These makeshift buildings housed 336 voting places around the city during the most recent Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to reporters ahead of the November 20 elections, Yadav clarified that pandals would only be used where pucca (permanent) buildings are unavailable. Ten assembly seats are included in the Mumbai city district, which includes the island city region excluding the suburbs.
Through a process known as "rationalization," the number of polling places has been expanded in an attempt to shorten lines and enhance the voting experience. 156 polling places have been moved to high-rise structures as part of this change, and an additional 100 have been moved to housing societies, Yadav said.
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The Election Commission reports that there are 25.36 lakh voters in the Mumbai city area, with the Sion-Koliwada assembly seat having the most electors (2.81 lakh) and the Wadala constituency having the fewest (2.05 lakh). Officials launched the 'Know Your Polling Station' campaign to inform voters of their assigned polling place following the rationalization of polling stations, according to Yadav.
They are sending letters to every voter, and 50 percent of voters are already covered, he added. According to the collector, voters can use a Google map or a QR code to identify a polling station. However, the rationalization of polling stations won't be successful until voters are aware of the location of their voting station.
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The term of the Maharashtra Assembly will end on November 26, 2024, and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said Maharashtra will have single-phase voting on 288 seats
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