Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 1 : Taking into account the reports tampering with EVMs at some polling booths, the Election Commission on Friday announced repolling in 15 polling stations in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, where voting was held on April 29 in the second phase of the Assembly elections.
The repolling will be held on 11 booths of Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and 4 booths of Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas on May 2, the EC said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the EC's decision, adding that polling should be taken on more booths of the two assembly segments. On the other hand, Trinamool Congress blamed BJP for the incidents that led to the repolling, calling it a devious strategy to "defame" the state.
In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, the EC said the repolling has been ordered based on inputs received from the state poll machinery, and voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.
"I am directed to state that based on reports received from the concerned Returning Officers and the Observers of 142-Magrahat Paschim AC and 143-Diamond Harbour AC regarding poll taken for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2026, held on 29th April, 2026 and after taking all material circumstances into account, the Commission hereby declares, under sub-section (2) of Section 58 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, that the poll taken on 29th April, 2026 for the aforesaid election at the following Polling Stations (as mentioned in Column 3 of the table below) to be void and appoints 2nd May, 2026 as the date and fixes the hours, for taking fresh poll at the said Polling Stations," West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer wrote in the order.
"I am further to state that the widest possible publicity should be given by beating of drums in the polling area, and contesting candidates should be informed in writing about the fresh poll being taken on the said date," the poll body said.
Reacting to the re-polling, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the EC's decision, adding that it should have happened in more booths in both assembly constituencies.
"Talking to reporters, Adhikari said, "Whatever happened at Magrahat West is welcomed. The re-polling should have happened in more booths in Diamond Harbour and in the whole of the Falta segment... There is a system and procedure which is being followed... We respect the Election Commission."
BJP's Dilip Ghosh said, "Everyone knows how the polling is done in Diamond Harbour... Efforts were made for the same this time as well, but it failed. Repolling is now taking place wherever such efforts are made, maybe because complaints were received."
West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja blamed the BJP for the incidents that led to the repolling, accusing the opposition party of "provoking" the other parties that led to the disruptions, calling it a "devious strategy" to defame West Bengal.
"The EC thinks that a repoll was warranted out there. That is why, just in the press conference, we replied that this was basically the strategy of the BJP that on the day of the poll, first phase or the second phase, they would provoke the other political parties. There were incidents where they would incite some kind of trouble so that there could be a massive repoll in many more booths. We did not react to their provocation...This was the strategy of the BJP. They are not prepared, they are not winning. They tried this devious strategy that lets us have a repoll in many places and defame Bengal," she said.
On the day of the second phase of polling, BJP's co-incharge of West Bengal, Amit Malviya, alleged that voters were prevented from choosing the party candidate at several polling booths in Falta under the Diamond Harbour constituency during phase two of the Assembly elections in the State.
He claimed that in multiple booths, the BJP option was allegedly blocked using tape, calling it the "Diamond Harbour Model" and demanding a repoll in the affected areas.
In a post on X, Malviya wrote, "This is what Mamata Banerjee was defending when she spoke up for Jehangir Khan, a criminal contesting on a TMC ticket from Falta in Diamond Harbour. In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice. This is the so-called 'Diamond Harbour Model,' the same template that helped Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee secure his Lok Sabha seat."
The final phase of polling for the high-octane West Bengal assembly elections concluded at 6 PM on April 29, with voter turnout hitting remarkable numbers at 90% before the closing hour. Security arrangements are in place at strong rooms in Howrah ahead of the counting of votes on May 4.