Intimidation, unauthorised presence, tampering of votes — Why EC ordered repolling in Bengal's Falta

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (EC) has ordered a complete repoll in West Bengal’s Falta assembly constituency, scrapping voting held on April 29 after what it described as a breakdown of the democratic process. All 285 polling stations in the South 24 Parganas seat will now vote again on May 21 under heightened security, with counting scheduled for May 24.The decision follows multiple reports of irregularities, including allegations of voter intimidation, unauthorised presence inside polling booths and possible tampering with voting machines. Officials said the Commission reviewed detailed submissions from ground-level authorities, observers and available records before declaring the earlier poll “void”.According to the EC, the scale and seriousness of complaints made it impossible to certify the April 29 polling as free or fair. Observer reports flagged incidents of intimidation and interference inside booths, raising concerns over whether voters were able to exercise their franchise independently.One of the most serious allegations involved electronic voting machines (EVMs). BJP leaders claimed that in several booths, including one at Harindanga High School, the BJP symbol had been partially covered, preventing voters from selecting their preferred option.West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar called the repoll a “victory” for voters, particularly women, who he claimed faced intimidation during polling.On the other side, Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress dismissed the allegations and launched a counterattack, daring opposition leaders to contest the seat and defend their claims on the ground.The Congress also weighed in, with Rashid Alvi alleging that irregularities were widespread across West Bengal and Assam, calling the situation a “blot on democracy”.Polling day itself reflected the charged environment. Heavy deployment of security forces, convoy movements and constant monitoring by political camps created an atmosphere of tension. BJP alleged that its party symbol had been taped over on electronic voting machines (EVMs) at several polling booths in Falta.The candidates from Falta include Trinamool’s Jahangir Khan, BJP’s Debangshu Panda and Congress leader Abdur Razzak Molla.