Kolkata, May 3: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered re-elections at all polling stations in the Falta assembly constituency of South 24 Parganas district. This decision comes after serious violations of electoral rules were observed 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 stated that the entire voting conducted on April 29 for this seat will be considered null and void, with re-voting scheduled for May 21.
In an official statement, the ECI said, “Considering the serious violations of electoral rules and instances that undermined the democratic process at several polling booths during voting on April 29 at the 144-Falta assembly seat, the commission directs that re-voting be conducted at all 285 polling booths (including auxiliary polling booths). This re-voting will take place between 7 AM and 6 PM on May 21.”
Following the re-voting, the counting of votes for this seat will occur on May 24.
On Friday, the commission had also announced re-voting at 15 booths in two assembly seats in South 24 Parganas district – Diamond Harbour and Magrahat (West) – with re-voting taking place on Saturday.
Falta had been in the spotlight even before the second phase of voting. A confrontation had arisen 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) were reported, leading to petitions demanding re-voting. Subsequently, the commission initiated an investigation to ascertain the seriousness of the irregularities.
Sources indicate that the highest number of complaints demanding re-voting came from South 24 Parganas district, with Falta being one of the key constituencies under close 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 assess the situation.
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My name is Kuldeep Singh Chundawat. 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.
