Kolkata: The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer announced on Wednesday that repolling will be conducted at specific booths where allegations of Electronic Voting Machine tampering are verified. This administrative response follows a series of formal complaints lodged by the Bharatiya Janata Party during the second and final phase of the 2026 Assembly elections. The commission has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward any interference with the voting process, stating that if widespread tampering is confirmed within a single constituency, the entire assembly segment could face a fresh mandate.
The controversy primarily centers on the Falta Assembly constituency, located within the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha region. BJP publicity chief Amit Malviya released social media footage purportedly showing that voting buttons for the BJP candidate and other nominees at booth number 170 in Harindanga High School were covered with adhesive tape. Malviya characterized this as the “Diamond Harbour Model,” alleging it is a systematic template used to disenfranchise voters. He further claimed that similar irregularities were observed at booth number 189 and several other locations throughout the district.
The Trinamool Congress has dismissed these allegations as “baseless” and an attempt by the opposition to create an alibi for an expected electoral defeat. TMC spokespersons countered that the voting process remained peaceful and instead accused central security forces of overstepping their mandate at the behest of the central government. Meanwhile, high-profile constituencies like Bhabanipur also witnessed significant tension, with clashes reported between supporters of rival parties as heavyweight leaders visited local polling stations.
As of Wednesday afternoon, West Bengal recorded a robust voter turnout, continuing the trend from the first phase held on April 23. This final phase of polling covered 142 of the state’s 294 constituencies, including the capital city of Kolkata. The Election Commission is currently awaiting a comprehensive report from the District Election Officer and independent observers before finalizing the list of booths for repolling. All eyes now turn toward Monday, May 4, when the counting of votes is scheduled to begin across the state.
