- May 4 marks the West Bengal Assembly election results for 293 constituencies out of 294
- Falta constituency repoll ordered on May 21 due to serious electoral offences reported
- Complaints included voter intimidation, tampering, and unauthorized presence at booths
Come May 4, the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections will come to a close as the results in 293 of 294 constituencies that voted in two phases determine a Trinamool Congress comeback or BJP's first-ever victory in the state. One constituency will remain part of the continuing poll process amid charges of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during April 29 elections - Falta.
The Election Commission ordered a repoll on Saturday in all 285 polling booths of the Falta Assembly constituency of the South 24 Parganas district on May 21 under stringent security arrangements to ensure a free, fair and transparent exercise. Counting of votes for the constituency will take place on May 24.
On Saturday, repolling was held in 15 booths in Paschim Magrahat and Diamond Harbour Assembly constituencies.
In Falta, TMC's Jahangir Khan is pitted against BJPs Debangshu Panda and Abdur Razzak Molla of the Congress. CPI(M)s Sambhu Nath Kurmi is also in the fray.
Why The Repoll?
The poll body said reports from observers flagged allegations of voter intimidation, unauthorised presence inside booths and possible tampering.
On the day of voting, Panda claimed that at booth number 177 at Falta, the EVM button for the BJP candidate was covered by a tape. Central forces reached the spot, removed the tape, and voting resumed thereafter.
Later, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on X, claiming that white tape had been placed on the party's symbol in booth numbers 144 and 189 in the Falta assembly seat, and demanded a re-poll.
A senior EC official said security forces lathi-charged a group -- consisting of both men and women -- outside a booth in the Belsingh area of Falta following allegations of an attempt to influence voters. Protesters alleged that the baton charge was unprovoked, and several women voters were injured while a child accompanying his mother allegedly sustained head injuries.
Amid such incidents, complaints demanded repolls in 77 booths, 32 of which were in Falta.
The poll panel has directed authorities to make all necessary arrangements, including deployment of adequate central forces, micro-observers and webcasting facilities, wherever required, to prevent any recurrence of malpractice. It also directed that the entire poll process be videographed and closely monitored.
The two-phase assembly polls were held on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
Politics Over Falta
BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar welcomed the decision, and stated that the repoll was a victory of the women of Falta over the atrocities of local TMC leader Jahangir Khan.
BJP candidate from Maniktala Assembly Constituency Tapas Roy said, "Because of incidents like what happened in Falta, Abhishek (Banerjee) won by a margin of 7 lakh 11 thousand votes in Diamond Harbour. Even today in Falta, things happen that shouldn't have. People were prevented from voting; in Hindu villages, our mothers and sisters had to come out and protest."
Reacting to the development, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said in a post on X, Ten lifetimes won't be enough for your Bangla Birodhi Gujarati gang and their stooge Gyanesh Kumar to put even a dent in my DIAMOND HARBOUR MODEL, Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India - Come to Falta. Send your strongest, send one of the godfathers from Delhi. If you have got the nerve, contest in Falta, he asserted.
