A fresh tussle has erupted between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the West Bengal government over the choice of the agency needed to maintain infrastructure facilities, technically termed as Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) and Extended Minimum Facilities (EMF), for the polling booths in the state amid the Assembly elections in the state next year.

The ECI and the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, are in favour of discarding the old decentralised system through the fund allotments to the District Magistrates (also the District Election Officers) for election-related expenses, a major part of which is infrastructure development for the booths.

The ECI aimed to replace the existing decentralised process for utilising election funds with a more transparen

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