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New Delhi: Counting of votes for the repolling in the 144-Falta Legislative Assembly constituency in West Bengal began on Sunday at Diamond Harbour Women's University amid heavy security deployment outside the counting centre.

As counting enters its 21st round, the focus remains on the aftermath of an election where the BJP swept 207 of West Bengal’s 294 seats, a contest that also saw a Trinamool candidate pull out of the race.

The repoll in Falta was ordered after irregularities were reported during polling in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which were held in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

The repolling held on Thursday saw a high voter turnout, with approximately 87.85% of the 2.36 lakh eligible electors casting their ballots.

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers outside the university premises, where the strong room was secured ahead of the counting process. 

Tight security arrangements have been in place at the venue, with polling officials arriving early as counting gets underway. Authorities maintained strict vigil around the premises to ensure the process remained smooth and peaceful.

A traditional Trinamool Congress stronghold, the Falta assembly seat is part of the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, represented by MP Abhishek Banerjee. The party had held this seat continuously since 2011.

NO TMC in race?

With the Trinamool Congress’s Jahangir Khan withdrawing his candidacy shortly before the vote, six individuals remain in the race for the Falta seat. The remaining field includes the BJP’s Debangshu Panda, Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla, CPM’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi, and two Independent contenders. Khan had stepped down two days prior to the repoll, citing a promise from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to provide a special development package for the region.

Khan said, “I would want Falta to stay peaceful, healthy, and good. And I want more and more development for Falta. So let there be a Golden Falta, that was my dream. That's why our Chief Minister is giving a special package for the development of Falta. For that reason, I am withdrawing from the upcoming repoll contest on May 21.”

While Jahangir Khan publicly claimed he withdrew because of the Chief Minister's promises of a "special package" for Falta, TMC has distanced itself from the decision, terming it a personal choice made under "pressure".

Why the repolls?

The Election Commission stated that reports from observers highlighted concerns regarding voter intimidation, the presence of unauthorized individuals inside polling stations, and potential evidence of tampering.

Officials said the Commission reviewed detailed submissions from ground-level authorities, observers and available records after declaring earlier poll 'void'.

On the polling day, BJPs Debangshu Panda alleged that at Falta's booth number 177, the EVM button corresponding to the BJP candidate had been obstructed with adhesive tape. After central security forces arrived and cleared the tape, the voting process was allowed to continue.

Subsequently, Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT cell, posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) alleging that white adhesive tape had been used to obscure the party's symbol at booth numbers 144 and 189 in Falta. Citing these irregularities, he called for an immediate re-poll in the constituency.

The complaints also cited buttons being marked with adhesive substances, ink, black tape, and even perfume, alongside booth jamming and rigging.

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal said that any booth where taping of EVM buttons was verified would undergo repolling, stating, “If reports of taping of any button come in, that should be verified and noted. If true, those booths will go for a repoll”.

As per reports, following scrutiny by special observer Subrata Gupta, the EC found that irregularities were not isolated. Out of 77 complaints of EVM tampering from four constituencies, 32 were from Falta alone.

The observers also flagged disturbing findings, including CCTV cameras being switched off in multiple polling stations, preventing real-time monitoring. Invoking Section 58(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Commission declared the April 29 polling in Falta void and ordered repolling across all 285 stations to ensure a free and fair election.