Chaibasa: The West Singhbhum district administration has completed all preparations to ensure a smooth and fair conduct of the Municipal (General) Elections 2026. Today, District Election Officer (Municipal) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chandan Kumar addressed the polling parties formed for the Chaibasa and Chakradharpur Municipal Council areas.
The briefing took place at the designated dispatch centre on the Tata College campus in Chaibasa, where officials issued critical guidelines to personnel involved in the election process.
High-Tech Surveillance: 87 Polling Stations Under CCTV
DC Chandan Kumar announced that voting will take place across 87 polling stations. To maintain total transparency, the administration will monitor every single polling station via CCTV cameras.
The distribution of polling stations is as follows:
- Chaibasa Municipal Council: 38 polling stations
- Chakradharpur Municipal Council: 49 polling stations
Voting Schedule: February 23
The District Election Officer confirmed that voting will occur on Monday, February 23, 2026.
- Poll Timing: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The DC instructed all polling personnel to strictly follow the State Election Commission’s guidelines to ensure a clean, peaceful, and impartial voting process. He placed special emphasis on the timely reporting of voter turnout percentages throughout the day.
Deployment of Personnel and Resources
A total of 435 polling personnel will manage the election booths. Each of the 87 polling parties consists of:
- 1 Presiding Officer
- 4 Polling Officers (P-1, P-2, P-3, and P-4)
The election will use physical ballot papers. The administration has arranged 244 ballot boxes (136 for Chakradharpur and 108 for Chaibasa). To ensure security and logistics, the district has deployed 1,250 police personnel and 40 dedicated vehicles.
Ballot Paper Color Coding
To assist voters and prevent confusion, the administration has introduced color-coded ballot papers:
- Pink Ballot: For the post of Chairperson
- White Ballot: For the post of Ward Councilor
Helpline and Monitoring
General Observers Ejaz Anwar (Chaibasa) and Uttam Prasad (Chakradharpur) supervised the dispatch process. For any complaints or assistance, the Election Control Room and Helpline will remain active until the polls close.
Helpline Number: 9835220231
