Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, May 3: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a fresh election in all polling stations of the Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, citing serious electoral violations during the second phase of voting held on April 29.
With the entire polling process in Falta now cancelled, vote counting on May 4 will proceed for 293 Assembly constituencies across West Bengal, excluding Falta. The re-poll for the constituency will be conducted on May 21, with counting scheduled for May 24.
In an official statement, the Commission said the decision followed evidence of “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process” in a large number of polling stations. Fresh voting will be held across all 285 booths, including auxiliary stations, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Earlier, the Commission had already ordered re-polling in 15 booths across Diamond Harbour and Magrahat (Paschim) constituencies in the same district, which was carried out on Saturday.
Falta had drawn attention even before polling day due to tensions between Special Police Observer Ajay Pal Sharma, an IPS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan.
On April 29, multiple complaints surfaced, including allegations of EVM tampering. Petitions seeking re-polling were submitted, prompting the Commission to conduct a detailed review. South 24 Parganas reportedly recorded the highest number of such complaints, with Falta among the most affected constituencies.
Acting on directions from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Special Observer Subrata Gupta visited Falta and other impacted areas, including Magrahat and Diamond Harbour, to assess the situation.
His report highlighted serious irregularities, initially recommending re-polling in around 30 booths. However, further scrutiny revealed broader concerns. Reports indicated that surveillance cameras were switched off in several polling stations, and network failures prevented real-time monitoring.
Additionally, allegations emerged that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were covered with tape in multiple booths. Although the coverings were reportedly removed by presiding officers around 1 p.m., nearly 58 percent of voting had already been completed by then, raising serious questions about the credibility of the electoral process.
The Commission’s decision to cancel the entire polling in Falta underscores the gravity of the violations and aims to ensure a free and fair election.