Kolkata, 21 May (H.S.) : Repolling in the Falta Assembly constituency of South 24 Parganas district concluded peacefully on Thursday amid heavy voter turnout and unprecedented security arrangements. According to the Election Commission, voter turnout reached 86.11 per cent till 5 PM. Since polling continued till 7 PM for voters already standing in queues, the final turnout figure is expected to rise further.
Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths throughout the day, with people turning up in large numbers despite intense heat and humidity.
Women, elderly citizens and first-time voters were among those who participated enthusiastically in the repoll.
Election Commission officials said that by 3 PM itself, voter turnout had crossed 74.10 per cent. The polling percentage increased sharply during the final hours as more voters arrived at booths to cast their votes.
Repolling was conducted across all 285 polling stations in the constituency, including 261 main booths and 24 auxiliary booths. Security arrangements were significantly tightened following allegations of irregularities during the original polling held on April 29. Around 35 companies of central forces were deployed across the constituency, while 30 Quick Response Teams remained on standby to deal with any emergency situation.
Each polling station was guarded by eight personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces.
The Election Commission also enforced strict surveillance measures this time. Two web cameras were installed inside every polling booth and one outside. Live webcasting of the voting process was monitored from the offices of the District Election Officer and the Chief Electoral Officer. Additional surveillance was maintained in several sensitive pockets.
During the initial phase of polling, reports emerged that Trinamool Congress polling agents were absent from a few booths located near the residence of party candidate Jahangir Khan. At least two booths reportedly did not have Trinamool agents present.
However, the voting process remained largely smooth and peaceful across the constituency.
The repoll was ordered by the Election Commission after allegations of EVM tampering, disruption of polling and manipulation of web camera recordings surfaced during the second phase of Assembly elections held on April 29. During the inquiry, indications of irregularities were reportedly found in at least 60 booths, prompting the Commission to order fresh polling across the entire constituency.
Political drama intensified ahead of the repoll after Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan announced his withdrawal from the contest just before polling day. However, under Election Commission rules, his name continued to remain on the Electronic Voting Machine. The Trinamool Congress later clarified that Khan’s decision was purely personal and not endorsed by the party.
The Falta seat has drawn considerable political attention as it falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency represented by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The constituency has long been considered a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress, making the repoll politically significant.
Election authorities and security agencies claimed that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure free, fair and transparent polling. No major incident of violence or large-scale disturbance was reported till the end of voting.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
