Kolkata, May 7: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the electoral process for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, excluding the Falta constituency. Following this, special election observer Subhrat Gupta and special police observer N.K. Mishra have been relieved of their duties.
A source from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office confirmed on Thursday that both officials have received their release letters from the commission.
The 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal were notable for several reasons. Historically, the state has witnessed violence during elections, but this time, the voting process remained relatively peaceful. Additionally, a record voter turnout was observed.
The Election Commission attributed this achievement to the crucial roles played by three officials who coordinated and monitored the entire electoral process behind the scenes. These officials include Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Subhrat Gupta, and N.K. Mishra.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has lifted the model code of conduct across West Bengal, except for the Falta constituency. Re-polling in the Falta seat, located in the South 24 Parganas district, is scheduled for May 21, with counting set for May 24.
On May 4, counting was conducted for 293 of the 294 assembly seats in West Bengal. The counting for the Falta seat was not held due to significant complaints of electoral irregularities during the second phase of voting on April 29, prompting the commission to order re-polling in the entire Falta constituency.
In another significant development on Thursday, former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, T.S. Shivgyaanam, resigned from his position as the head of the appellate tribunal overseeing cases related to the removal of names from the voter list during the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process.
Justice Shivgyaanam (retired) was also leading a committee of three retired judges from the Supreme Court appointed to monitor the functioning of the appellate tribunal. He cited personal reasons for his resignation.
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