Election Commission to Rule on BJP’s Demand for Repolling in 77 Booths Across South 24 Parganas

KOLKATA — The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to deliver a crucial decision this Thursday regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) petition seeking repolls in 77 polling stations across four Assembly constituencies in South 24 Parganas. These constituencies participated in the second phase of polling held on April 29.

The Hub of Contention : Diamond Harbour

According to official sources, 64 of the 77 disputed booths are situated within the Diamond Harbour subdivision, falling under the high-profile Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. This seat is currently represented by Abhishek Banerjee, the All India General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Data provided by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) reveals the following breakdown of the contested booths:

Falta : 32 booths

Diamond Harbour : 29 booths

Magrahat East : 13 booths

Budge Budge : 3 booths

While Falta, Diamond Harbour, and Budge Budge are part of the Diamond Harbour parliamentary seat, Magrahat East falls under the Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Escalating Tensions in Falta

The demand for a fresh mandate follows a series of controversies centered on the Falta Assembly segment. Tensions initially flared following a heated exchange between Ajay Pal Sharma, the ECI-appointed Police Observer for the Diamond Harbour subdivision, and TMC candidate Jahangir Khan.

The situation escalated further on Wednesday when reports emerged alleging that the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) buttons corresponding to the BJP candidate’s name and symbol had been obscured with white adhesive tape.

Imminent Decision

The Election Commission took immediate cognizance of these irregularities, demanding a comprehensive report from the CEO’s office. Sources confirm that the report has been submitted, and a final verdict on whether to conduct repolls is expected by later today.

Notably, this development marks a shift in the electoral atmosphere of the state; the first phase of polling on April 23 concluded without any official demands or requirements for repolling.