Preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have already begun. The State Election Commission recently held a meeting with 31 District Magistrates, issuing important instructions. The Commission has stated that no booth should have more than 1,200 voters. The aim is to avoid overcrowding during voting and to improve the system.
This decision will directly affect the number of polling stations. If this new rule is implemented, approximately 19,500 new booths may be added in the state. In 2022, voting took place at a total of 1,62,462 booths, but now that number could increase to 1,81,962. This means the next Assembly election will be organized on an even larger scale.
Akhilesh Yadav Claims PDA Will Get 90% of Votes
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has reacted sharply to this preparation by the State Election Commission. He wrote on social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter),
PDA is ready, BJP's defeat is certain. The more booths that increase, the more votes will be cast, and 90% of the votes will go to the PDA.
Akhilesh's statement indicates that the opposition sees this change as beneficial to them. He claimed that more booths mean more voting, and this will directly benefit the 'PDA' (Backward, Dalit, Minority) alliance.
Increased Convenience for Voters
Currently, the provision in UP is for 1,500 voters per booth. But with the 2027 election in mind, the Commission plans to reduce this number to 1,200. This will not only reduce crowding but also provide more convenience to voters.
In the 2022 elections, there were approximately 15.05 crore voters in UP, and this number is expected to increase by 2027. In such a situation, increasing the number of booths is also necessary from an administrative point of view.
Notably, in 2017, there were 1,47,148 polling centers in UP, which increased to 1,74,351 in 2022. Now, under the new standard, this figure is likely to go even higher.
