Falta repolling: Voting under way in West Bengal's high-stakes seat amid tight security

NEW DELHI: Repolling in West Bengal's Falta assembly constituency began on Thursday amid tight security, as the seat in South 24 Parganas district emerged as a political flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the ousted TMC.Falta, which falls within Abhishek Banerjee’s bastion of Diamond Harbour, reflected the intense on-ground political heat during the West Bengal Assembly polls.Apart from authorities finding attempts to tamper with footage captured by web cameras installed at several polling stations, allegations of EVM manipulation were reported at a Falta booth, eventually prompting the Election Commission to order repolling.“It is the same as it was back in my childhood. We were scared to cast our votes 15 years back, but not anymore. 15 years back, we were not even allowed to come to the booth, the goons would stop us at the gate…I am very happy today,” a voter told news agency ANI.Questions were subsequently raised over the role of booth-level officers (BLOs), presiding officers, polling personnel and election observers.The TMC has held the Falta seat since 2001, except in 2006 when the CPI(M) won the constituency.Also read: 'CM Adhikari promised ...': Jahangir Khan exits Falta repoll; TMC says 'succumbed to pressure'More than 2.36 lakh voters, including 1.15 lakh women and nine third-gender electors, are eligible to cast their votes across 285 booths. Polling commenced at 7 am.The Election Commission ordered the repoll citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process” during the April 29 voting held in the second phase of the Assembly elections.Six candidates are in the fray, including TMC nominee Jahangir Khan, who announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the contest. However, his name remains on the EVMs as the deadline for officially withdrawing candidature had passed.Earlier, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari took direct aim at Jahangir, who had compared himself to the smuggler-turned-strongman character from the film Pushpa: The Rise.Addressing a rally in Diamond Harbour, Adhikari said, “Where is that Pushpa -- the dacoit? He is not seen anywhere now. The National Human Rights Commission declared 19 persons as notorious criminals in 2021. Jahangir was one of them. Leave him to me. I will take care of him.”Also read: TMC’s Jahangir Khan exits Falta bypoll battle but his name will remain on EVMs; here’s whyAhead of the rally, police arrested Saidul Khan, a close aide of Jahangir and Trinamool’s Falta vice-president, on multiple charges including issuing death threats.Other candidates include BJP’s Debangshu Panda, CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla.A total of 35 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed for the repoll, with eight personnel, equivalent to a full section, stationed at each booth, officials said.During the April 29 polling, only four personnel, or half a section, had been deployed at each booth.Additionally, 30 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been kept on standby to respond to any disturbance.Political tensions have remained high in the constituency since allegations surfaced from multiple booths that perfume substances and adhesive tapes had been applied to EVMs during the earlier polling.Former Election Commission Special Observer Subrata Gupta had visited the constituency and conducted a scrutiny, following which evidence of alleged tampering was reportedly detected in at least 60 booths.In the 2026 assembly elections, BJP secured 207 seats, ending TMC’s 15-year rule in the state. While, TMC managed to win 80 seats only.