Kolkata, 20 May (H.S.) : The Election Commission has completed all preparations for the repoll scheduled on Thursday, May 21, in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district. Repolling will be held across all 285 polling stations in the constituency following allegations of large-scale irregularities and tampering with Electronic Voting Machines during the earlier polling process. The Commission has put in place unprecedented security and surveillance measures to ensure free and fair voting.
According to the fact sheet released by the Election Commission, the Falta Assembly constituency has a total of 236,444 electors, including 121,300 male voters, 115,135 female voters, and nine third-gender voters. There are also 93 service voters in the constituency. A total of 4,343 voters in the 18-19 age group will cast their votes for the first time. The constituency also has 1,445 voters above 85 years of age and 26 voters aged above 100 years. The number of persons with disabilities enrolled as voters stands at 2,109.
The Commission said a total of 285 polling stations have been set up for the repoll, including 261 main polling stations and 24 auxiliary booths. There are six candidates in the fray, all of them male.
A senior official in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said eight personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces would be deployed at each polling station this time, equivalent to a full section. During the original polling held on April 29, only four personnel had been posted at each booth. The Commission has stated that security arrangements have been nearly doubled to eliminate any possibility of irregularities.
Around 35 companies of central forces will be deployed across the constituency. In addition, 30 quick response teams will remain operational to tackle any untoward situation. The Election Commission has also decided to install two web cameras inside each polling station and one outside. Live webcasting of the polling process will be monitored from the offices of the District Election Officer and the Chief Electoral Officer. Drone surveillance is also under consideration.
Three special election observers have been appointed to oversee the repoll process. Meanwhile, the state police have intensified operations ahead of polling and arrested several persons from different areas, including Falta Panchayat Samiti vice-chairman Saidul Khan.
The Falta constituency has emerged as one of the most controversial Assembly seats in the state during this election cycle. During polling on April 29, allegations surfaced from several booths regarding the application of perfume, ink, and adhesive substances on EVM buttons, obstruction of voting, and tampering with web camera recordings. Then special observer Subrata Gupta had visited the constituency and reportedly found signs of irregularities in at least 60 booths. Following the inquiry, the Election Commission ordered repolling across the entire constituency.
Adding to the political drama ahead of the repoll, Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan announced his withdrawal from the contest earlier this week. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Khan said he had decided not to participate in the repoll after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a special development package for Falta. Describing himself as the “son of the soil” of Falta, Khan said he wanted peace and development in the area.
However, the All India Trinamool Congress quickly distanced itself from the decision, stating that Khan’s withdrawal was entirely his personal decision and had nothing to do with the party. The TMC also alleged that more than 100 of its workers had been arrested in the Falta area after the election results were declared and that several party offices had been attacked.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, launched a sharp attack on Jahangir Khan, claiming that he “ran away from the field” because he could not even arrange polling agents. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Debangshu Panda as its candidate for the repoll.
Politically, the Falta Assembly constituency holds significant importance as it falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat represented by Abhishek Banerjee and has long been considered a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress.
Campaigning for the repoll ended at 5 pm on Wednesday, after which the mandatory silence period came into effect. The Election Commission and security agencies have asserted that all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful, transparent, and impartial polling on Thursday.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
