After what it called a detailed investigation of the polling process, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered a repoll in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency. Fresh polls will now be held at all 285 polling stations in Falta on May 21, and counting will be done on May 24, the EC announced in a statement Saturday, citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process”.
The BJP had earlier alleged that during polling on April 29, the EVMs were manipulated at many polling booths in Falta using “black tape” to hide the party’s symbol.
Special observer Subrata Gupta was then sent to investigate the allegations. The polling body’s decision comes after a detailed investigation report, submitted by him and the district election officer of South 24-Parganas, found “tampering” in at least 60 of the 285 polling booths.
The EC said in an official release, “On consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on April 29 in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, West Bengal, EC directs that fresh poll shall be conducted in all the 285 polling stations, including auxiliary polling stations.”
West Bengal’s chief electoral officer, Manoj Agarwal had earlier said that repoll would be ordered in the whole constituency if several incidents of EVM tampering come to the fore. Earlier on Saturday, during a repoll at 15 booths in two other seats in the state, women protesters blocked a section of the road in Falta, demanding a repoll.
ECI secretary Sujeet Misra, in a letter to the Bengal CEO, said that “sufficient grounds” were found to conclude that the poll process in several booths was “vitiated due to alleged application of black tape” on ballot buttons.
It said earlier scrutiny was conducted “mechanically and hurriedly by relying mainly on official records without proper examination of video footage”, adding that the footage revealed “serious procedural violations” in Falta.
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The letter stated that the 60 affected polling stations involved 53,967 electors, or 22.82% of the total electorate in the seat. “Considering the history of violence and intimidation and the partial/non-availability of footage, there appeared to be deliberate interference with the poll process,” it added.
The special observer’s report held that booth capturing had taken place in these polling stations, adding that similar incidents may have occurred in other booths. The counting of votes has been stopped here as per the EC’s direction.
The letter added that polling buttons on the ballot units of the EVMs were found masked with black tape, preventing the voters from casting vote in favour of the said candidate. While remedial steps were taken after receiving complaints, a substantial percentage of polling had already taken place by then, it said. The EC held, “This tampering with the EVMs had compromised the integrity of the votes recorded and made it impossible to ascertain the mandate of the electorate.”
The State Observer, West Bengal has issued the repoll directions under relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
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The counting for other Assembly seats in West Bengal will be held on May 4.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
