As West Bengal awaits the results of a high-stakes electoral contest on Monday, one of the 294 constituencies will not join the others for vote counting, which will decide either the TMC’s comeback or a historic
BJP win.
The results of the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas would not be announced tomorrow, after the Election Commission ordered a repoll amid charges of severe electoral offences during the second phase of polling.
The Commission said the repolling at all 285 polling stations of Falta will take place after considering “severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process” on April 29.
Fresh polling in all booths would be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm on May 21, weeks after the result day. The counting of votes for Falta will take place on May 24, 2026. This came after fresh polling was held on May 2 in 15 booths in Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour constituencies.
In Falta, TMC’s Jahangir Khan is competing with BJP’s Debangshu Panda and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla, while CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi is also in the contest.
ALSO READ: Falta To Vote For Third Time On May 21: How Repoll Exposes Faultlines In Bengal’s ‘Diamond Harbour Model’
Why Repolling At Falta?
The April 29 voting in several areas of the state was marred by clashes between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with both sides accusing each other of vote tampering. The BJP alleged that the EVM button for the party was covered by a tape.
Later, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on social media, claiming that white tape had been placed on the party’s symbol in booth numbers 144 and 189 in the Falta assembly seat, and demanded a re-poll.
Violent clashes broke out again on Saturday between BJP and TMC workers in Falta, prompting the arrest of three individuals. Meanwhile, locals in the Hashim Nagar area of the Falta Assembly constituency began protesting in the area by blocking roads, alleging that they were being harassed by TMC workers.
The Election Commission has directed authorities to make all necessary arrangements for the repolling in Falta, including deployment of adequate central forces, micro-observers and webcasting facilities to prevent any recurrence of malpractice.
