NEW DELHI: Repolling in West Bengal's Falta assembly constituency witnessed a brisk voter turnout on Thursday, with more than 74 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots by 3 pm. Election Commission officials confirmed that the polling process remained peaceful throughout the day, with no reports of violence or disruptions at any polling station.
Background of the Repoll
The repoll was necessitated after the Election Commission countermanded the original voting held on April 29, citing widespread allegations of EVM tampering and attempts to manipulate web camera footage at multiple polling booths. The commission described the earlier polling as being marred by severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process.
Voter Demographics and Polling Arrangements
More than 2.36 lakh voters, including over 1.15 lakh women and nine third-gender electors, were eligible to vote across 285 polling stations in the South 24 Parganas constituency. Voting commenced at 7 am and was scheduled to continue until 6 pm. The Election Commission deployed 35 companies of Central Armed Police Forces across the constituency, with eight security personnel stationed at each booth—double the deployment during the earlier polling. Additionally, 30 Quick Response Teams remained on standby to address any potential disturbances.
Political Tensions and Security Measures
Political tensions had remained high in Falta after complaints emerged that perfume substances and adhesive tapes had been applied to EVMs during the April 29 polling. Former Election Commission Special Observer Subrata Gupta reportedly found evidence of alleged tampering in at least 60 booths during a subsequent inspection. A voter speaking to ANI noted a significant change in the atmosphere compared to previous elections. We were scared to cast our votes 15 years back, but not anymore, the voter said, adding that people earlier feared being stopped by goons outside polling stations.
Political Battle in Falta
The constituency, located in Diamond Harbour, has become a key political battleground between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress. Although six candidates remain officially in the contest, TMC nominee Jahangir Khan recently announced he would not fight the election, calling it a personal decision. Falta has largely remained a TMC stronghold since 2001, except for a brief CPI(M) victory in 2006.
