The West Bengal State Election Commission has approached the Calcutta High Court seeking an order to retrieve Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) stored across various district strongrooms. With local body polls scheduled for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Howrah, and other municipalities, the poll panel faces a severe shortage of functional EVM units. Acting Chief Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty granted permission to file the petition, and the case is slated for a hearing next week.
Following major elections, spare and reserve EVMs remain under the custody of District Magistrates. However, several machines remain locked away or legally preserved due to pending court cases and election petitions. To ensure sufficient preparations for the upcoming civic body elections, the State Election Commission requires the court's intervention to access these district-stored units.
Preparations are under way to hold municipal elections, starting with Kolkata and Howrah, following the appointment of administrators and seat re-alignments. The ruling government has advocated for timely local polls to resolve administrative deadlocks in civic bodies. Seeking legal clearance to collect the required EVMs remains the primary step for the election panel to finalize poll readiness.