West Bengal election 2026: As voting is underway for the second phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, the BJP has alleged that the option to vote for the “lotus” symbol has been blocked with tape at several
polling booths in the Falta seat of Diamond Harbour.
BJP’s West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya has accused Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress of preventing voters from exercising their choice
.The BJP demanded an immediate repoll in all affected booths in Falta where such incidents have occurred.
This is what Mamata Banerjee was defending when she spoke up for Jehangir Khan, a criminal contesting on a TMC ticket from Falta in Diamond Harbour.
In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from… pic.twitter.com/sKw3mcdA86
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 29, 2026
Malviya alleged the TMC had replicated this strategy previously to help Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee win the Lok Sabha election from the Diamond Harbour seat.
Read More: Violence, EVM Glitches Mark West Bengal Phase 2 Polling, TMC & BJP Lock Horns
Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that his party is monitoring the situation in Falta and other seats and action is being taken.
“We are also monitoring and will do what is required. The Election Commission has also taken cognisance of this. If it works in this manner, then what is required will be done. I will discuss it with the candidate. Bhupendra Yadav ji called me at 9 am. I conveyed the situation. Just a few minutes back, the home minister, my leader Amit Shah ji, called me. I told him about the Falta incident. This is TMC’s technique. We are taking action. Nothing has happened yet. 35 per cent of voting has taken place; a lot remains to be seen,” he added.
Poll Body To Probe Claim
The West Bengal Election Commissioner said reports of button-tampering will be thoroughly verified, adding that if found to be true, the affected booths will undergo repolling.
Falta Assembly Seat
TMC has fielded Jahangir Khan against BJP’s Debangshu Panda in Falta seat of South 24 Parganas. Sambhu Nath Kurmi from the Left Front and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla are also in the fray.
During the poll campaign, the seat made headlines over of a face-off between Jahangir Khan and the ECI-appointed police observer, IPS Ajay Pal Sharma. Khan reportedly told the media, “If he is Singham, I am also Pushpa,” after the officer conducted raids to prevent voter intimidation.
