Webcasting precision to be key focus for ECI in 2026 Bengal Assembly polls

Kolkata, Oct 13 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made webcasting accuracy one of its top priorities for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and has directed the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, to initiate early measures to strengthen the system.

Officials from the CEO’s office said the directive follows internal findings that webcasting remained non-functional for two to four hours, on average, across several polling booths during each of the seven phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

As per the findings, the lapses were reportedly highest in the nine Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1, 2024 -- Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat (North 24 Parganas); Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, and Jadavpur (South 24 Parganas); and Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar (Kolkata district).

According to officials, the Commission has issued preliminary recommendations to ensure 100 per cent webcasting precision in all booths for the 2026 assembly polls.

The first suggestion pertains to camera procurement -- equipment must be sourced only from entities with proven reliability, and every camera’s functional quality must be verified before installation.

The second suggestion relates to camera placement. Cameras should not be installed in spots directly exposed to intense sunlight or heat, as several devices reportedly malfunctioned during the 2024 polls due to overheating.

The third suggestion emphasises the need to prevent any obstruction of camera lenses -- such as being covered by paper or cloth -- throughout the polling period, another issue detected during previous elections.

The final suggestion is constant monitoring to ensure that the webcasting is functional throughout the polling period.

--IANS

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