Rivers, Forests, Hills: Polling Booths Are Reaching Every Voter Ahead Of 5 Assembly Elections

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for elections in five states and reiterated its commitment to ensure that no voter is deprived of the right to vote. To facilitate voting, the commission has set up nearly 2.15 lakh polling stations across the poll-bound states.

Among these are several unique and remote polling stations, where election officials undertake extremely challenging journeys to ensure that even the most isolated voters can participate in the democratic process. From crossing rivers to trekking through forests and hills, polling teams travel long distances in states such as Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

In Assam, polling teams travel nearly 50-60 kilometres from Majuli to reach the remote Dhanekhana polling station. The journey includes crossing the Brahmaputra River by ferry, followed by travel by road and finally by tractor to reach the polling booth, which serves 248 voters. The difficult terrain and limited connectivity make it one of the most challenging polling stations to access.

In Kerala, election officials heading to Booth No 34 at Edamalakuddy in the tribal region of Idukki district must first travel about 30 kilometres through rugged off-road terrain using specialised vehicles, followed by an 8-kilometre trek on foot. The polling station serves 693 voters living in the remote tribal settlement.

In West Bengal, polling teams in Alipurduar district trek through the forests of the Buxa Tiger Reserve to reach remote booths. Polling stations have been set up at Buxa (759 voters), Chunabhatti (235 voters), and Adma (445 voters), requiring officials to carry polling equipment through forest paths to reach voters living deep inside the reserve area.

In Tamil Nadu, officials travel for nearly three hours across difficult hilly terrain in the Varusanad Hills of Theni district to reach the Vellimalai polling station, which serves just five voters. Despite the small number of electors, the polling booth has been established to ensure that every voter can exercise their franchise.

Meanwhile, in Puducherry, one of the polling stations is located at the historic V.O. Chidambaram Pillai School, built in 1885 during the French administration. The campus hosts two polling stations, serving 722 and 651 voters respectively.

Polling will take place in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on April 9. In Tamil Nadu, voting will be held on April 23. In West Bengal, polling will be conducted in two phases, the first phase on April 23 and the second phase on April 29. The results will be announced on May 4.