Kolkata, May 3: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated a re-election across all polling stations in the Falta assembly constituency of South 24 Parganas district. This decision comes after serious violations of electoral rules were identified during the second phase of voting on April 29.
As a result, the counting of votes for the 293 assembly seats in West Bengal will take place on May 4, excluding Falta. The commission has declared that all votes cast on April 29 for this constituency will be considered null and void, with re-voting scheduled for May 21.
In an official statement, the ECI noted, “Considering the serious violations of electoral rules and threats to the democratic process observed at several polling booths on April 29 in West Bengal’s 144-Falta assembly seat, the commission directs that re-voting be conducted at all 285 polling booths (including auxiliary booths). This re-voting will occur on May 21 from 7 AM to 6 PM.”
Following the re-voting, the counting of votes for this seat will take place on May 24.
On Friday, the commission had also announced re-voting for 15 booths across two assembly seats in South 24 Parganas—Diamond Harbour and Magrahat (West). This re-voting was held on Saturday.
Falta had been in the spotlight even before the second phase of voting. Tensions arose between Ajay Pal Sharma, a special police observer appointed by the election commission, and Jahangir Khan, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Falta.
On the day of voting, allegations of tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) surfaced, leading to petitions demanding re-voting. Subsequently, the commission initiated an investigation to assess the severity of the irregularities.
Sources indicate that the majority of complaints requesting re-voting originated from South 24 Parganas, with Falta being one of the key constituencies under scrutiny.
Under the direction of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, special observer Subrata Gupta visited Falta, Magrahat, Diamond Harbour, and other affected areas on Thursday to evaluate the situation.
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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