EC Orders Repoll in All 285 Booths of Bengal’s Falta Assembly Constituency Over Poll Irregularities
Kolkata: In a rare and decisive intervention, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered fresh polling across the entire Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, nullifying the votes cast on April 29.
The Commission directed that fresh polls be conducted in all 285 polling stations, including auxiliary booths, on May 21, 2026, from 7 AM to 6 PM. The counting of votes for this constituency will take place on May 24, 2026, separately from the rest of the state.
In an official statement issued on May 2, the ECI cited “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process” during the original polling held on April 29 as part of the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Observer reports and a detailed review revealed serious irregularities at a large number of booths. These included deliberate tampering with Electronic Voting Machines — such as ballot unit buttons being covered with black tape, marked with ink, or smeared with substances like attar to identify voter choices — intimidation of voters, unauthorised entry into polling stations, and instances of proxy voting. Concerns were also raised over missing or inconsistent CCTV footage, compromising the transparency of the process.
The ECI stated: “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, the EC directs that fresh poll shall be conducted in all the 285 polling stations, including auxiliary polling stations.”
The announcement came amid heightened tensions in the area, with local protests demanding adequate security arrangements for the fresh poll. The development follows repolling already conducted on May 2 in 15 booths of nearby Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour constituencies over similar complaints of EVM irregularities.
Political parties have traded allegations regarding the incidents, with claims of violence and booth-level malpractice. The ECI’s move underscores its commitment to free and fair elections, even at the cost of delaying results for one constituency. The main counting for other West Bengal Assembly seats is scheduled for May 4.
This full reset of polling in an entire constituency is being seen as one of the strongest actions taken by the poll panel in the ongoing 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
