Form 12D to be circulated for 19000 voters in West Bengal's Darjeeling

Darjeeling district Election Officer has said that 12D forms will be circulated among 19,000 voters in Darjeeling district for those who have crossed eighty years of age for the West Bengal Assembly polls.

"We are sending 12D forms to 19,000 voters who are above 80 years and taking their views on the voting system," Shashank Sethi, Darjeeling district Election Officer and District Magistrate told after inspecting several polling booths in Siliguri.

Sethi said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a lot of effort to motivate and encourage voters to cast their votes especially in those areas where the voting percentage goes low. He said that the commission has been using social media channels and other mediums to ensure that voters reach polling stations.

"The electoral officers have run a special drive with EVMs in 200 places including colleges having first-time voters," added Sethi.

Notably, the polling stations have been increased to 1719 for this election against the 1413 polling stations last time. There are 12,22,190 voters in the Darjeeling district. Darjeeling will go for polling in the fifth phase on April 17.

West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from ANI )