KOLKATA, May 2: Fresh polling commenced on Saturday morning at 15 polling booths spread across two assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district after the Election Commission directed a repoll over allegations of electoral misconduct during the second phase of the state elections.
According to election officials, repolling is being conducted at 11 polling stations in the Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four polling booths in Diamond Harbour. Voting started at 7 am under heightened security arrangements and is scheduled to continue till 6 pm.
The Election Commission took the decision after reviewing reports submitted by returning officers and election observers, along with other material evidence gathered from the affected areas. Authorities stated that the action was aimed at ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.
Allegations Trigger Fresh Polling
The repoll order came after the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged widespread electoral malpractices, including intimidation of voters and procedural violations, in several polling booths located within the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. The parliamentary seat is currently represented by Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
In response to the complaints, the Election Commission deputed special observer Subrata Gupta to assess the situation on the ground and verify the allegations raised by political parties and local candidates.
Officials said the observer’s findings, combined with detailed reports from polling authorities, prompted the poll body to order fresh voting in the identified booths.
Security Tightened at Sensitive Locations
Security forces were heavily deployed around the affected polling stations to prevent any untoward incidents during the repoll process. Election authorities maintained strict monitoring of the booths to ensure smooth conduct of voting.
Voters were seen arriving early at several polling centres despite the warm weather conditions, while polling personnel and central security forces remained stationed throughout the process.
The Election Commission has also indicated that a decision regarding a possible repoll in the Falta assembly constituency is expected later on Saturday after examining additional reports.
High-Stakes Election Nears Final Stage
The West Bengal Assembly elections were conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29 amid extensive security deployment across sensitive districts. The contest witnessed intense campaigning and political rivalry between major parties, particularly in South Bengal constituencies.
Counting of votes for all assembly seats is scheduled to take place on May 4, when the fate of candidates contesting in the high-profile election will be decided.