New Delhi, 25 April (H.S.): The Election Commission of India has completed the scrutiny of Form 17A (Register of Voters) and other election‑day documents for all constituencies in Tamil Nadu and the first phase of polling in West Bengal, and has stated that no re‑poll has been recommended at any polling station in either state.

In a statement on Saturday, the Election Commission said the verification exercise in both states was concluded on April 24 under the supervision of the respective returning officers and in the presence of observers. In West Bengal, scrutiny was carried out for the 152 Assembly constituencies that went to the polls in the first phase, covering 1,478 candidates, all of whom were informed in advance of the time, venue, and date of the scrutiny. Of these, more than 600 candidates or their representatives participated in the process. After examining all 44,376 polling stations, the Commission found no grounds to recommend a re‑poll anywhere.

In Tamil Nadu, the scrutiny was conducted for the entire 234 Assembly‑seat election, and all 4,023 candidates were notified about the details of the verification. A total of 1,825 candidates or their representatives attended the proceedings. After reviewing records from 75,064 polling stations, the Commission again concluded that no re‑poll was warranted anywhere.

The entire scrutiny process in both states was videographed to ensure transparency. After examination, the Form 17A registers and associated documents were re‑sealed with the returning officers’ official seals. The EVMs and VVPAT machines were placed in secure strong rooms fitted with double‑locking systems, CCTV surveillance, and round‑the‑clock, two‑level armed security.

Returning officers have been directed to inspect the strong rooms twice a day, while district election officers will inspect the main‑office strong rooms daily and the out‑station strong rooms every three to four days. Candidates’ representatives have also been allowed to camp in the strong‑room precincts to maintain continuous monitoring.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar