The Election Commission has laid down specific requirements for setting up polling stations inside housing complexes, including a room large enough to function as a polling booth, space to accommodate security personnel and polling officials for at least a night, a washroom, and space for installing CCTV cameras.

On Tuesday, the district election officer (DEO) of Calcutta North, Smita Pandey, visited Silver Spring along EM Bypass, where a polling station has been set up. Pandey briefly interacted with some residents of the housing complex.

"There are about 450 voters in Silver Spring. About 150 voters from the neighbourhood, who are not residents of the housing complex, will also vote here," said a resident of Silver Spring.

"The DEO assured us about adequate security and told us not to worry about anything," said Ashok Baid, a resident.

"The Election Commission asked us whether we have a room large enough to have a polling booth, a clean washroom, a place for security and polling to stay overnight and a place to install cameras," said Baid.

Six housing complexes across Calcutta’s 11 Assembly constituencies will have polling stations on their premises, with most hosting them for the first time.

The six housing complexes are: Active Acres and Silver Spring in Entally; Lake District in Beleghata; Arjun Apartment in Maniktala (it will have two polling stations); South City in Rashbehari (it will have two polling stations); and Asha Co-operative in Rashbehari.

Also, polling stations will be set up on the premises of eight housing complexes in Rajarhat New Town and Bidhannagar Assembly constituencies.

The polling stations in New Town will be set up at Uniworld City-1, Uniworld City-2, Rosedale Gardens and Shukhobrishthi.

The housing complexes in Bidhannagar Assembly constituency where polling stations will be set up are Avani Oxford, Shyam Lake Garden, Ujjas Complex and Brijdham Complex.

When the Election Commission asked DEOs in November to identify housing complexes where polling stations could be set up, the Trinamool had opposed the move.

On November 24, Trinamool supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the chief election commissioner, arguing that polling booths in private buildings could compromise fairness, violate established norms and create discriminatory distinctions between privileged residents and the general public.

The poll panel believes such booths would increase voter turnout in urban areas, sources said.

EC officials indicated booths could be set up in housing complexes with approximately 300 or more electors.

Five Assembly constituencies — Kasba, Jadavpur, Tollygunge, Behala East and Behala West — are part of the South 24-Parganas district.

A DEO said convenience for voters in the housing complexes was one of the objectives behind setting up the polling stations.