The electoral outcome in West Bengal will now be decided on 293 seats after the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday cancelled the April 29 polling in south Kolkata's Falta constituency, citing 'electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process.'
A repoll has been scheduled for May 21, with counting on May 24. This is the first time in Bengal where a full assembly constituency will go to the polls after the declaration of results. In India, only Bihar had a similar precedent.
The EC said an inquiry into complaints found widespread tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at multiple booths. Buttons were defaced with black masking tape and ink, affecting 60 of 285 polling stations — 21% of the constituency. These booths accounted for 53,967 voters (22.8% of the 2.36 lakh electorate).
'This compromised the integrity of recorded votes and made it impossible to ascertain the mandate,' the EC said, adding that gaps in video footage meant similar tampering elsewhere in Falta could not be ruled out.
Tension flared on Saturday in Hasimnagar, a locality within Falta along the Hooghly river corridor, where villagers alleged threats from associates of Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Jahangir Khan. Police observer Ajaypal Sharma, a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) overseeing Diamond Harbour subdivision on the city's southern fringe, rushed to the area as residents complained of inaction.
Security was stepped up with deployment of state police and central forces. The EC later ordered the arrest of two of Khan's aides, Izrafil Chokdar and Sujauddin Sheikh. The countermanding removes Falta from Monday's count, tightening focus on the remaining seats that will determine the next government.
