Voting began on Thursday morning for the repoll in West Bengal’s Falta assembly constituency under unprecedented security arrangements after the Election Commission countermanded last month’s polling over alleged large-scale EVM tampering and electoral irregularities.
Polling started at 7 am across 285 booths in the South 24 Parganas constituency, where more than 2.36 lakh voters, including 1.15 lakh women and nine third-gender electors, are eligible to cast their votes, officials said.
The Election Commission significantly tightened security for the fresh polling exercise, deploying 35 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), with eight personnel, equivalent to one full section, stationed at each booth.
During the April 29 polling, which was later cancelled, only four personnel, or half a section, had been deployed at each booth.
"The poll panel does not want to leave any room for irregularities this time. Security arrangements have therefore been significantly strengthened," an official of the poll panel told PTI.
Additionally, 30 quick response teams have been kept on standby to tackle any disturbance.
"The idea is to ensure immediate intervention even in case of minor unrest," a senior election official said.
The poll panel has also stepped up surveillance measures. Two web cameras have been installed inside every polling booth and one outside, while live webcasting is covering the polling process and surrounding areas.
"Monitoring will be conducted from the offices of the District Election Officer (DEO) and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)," an official said, adding that drone surveillance was also being considered.
"Three election observers have been assigned to supervise the repoll process," the officer stated.
The repoll was ordered after the EC cited “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process” during the April 29 voting held in the second phase of the assembly elections.
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 Special Observer of the Election Commission Subrata Gupta had visited the constituency and conducted a scrutiny, following which evidence of alleged tampering was detected in at least 60 booths.
Apart from the alleged EVM manipulation, authorities also found attempts to tamper with footage captured by web cameras installed at several polling stations, raising questions over the role of booth-level officers, presiding officers, polling personnel and election observers.
Following the findings, the EC ordered repolling in all booths of the constituency.
Meanwhile, the state police said action had already been initiated ahead of the repoll.
"We have arrested several persons, including Falta Panchayat Samiti vice-chairman Saidul Khan," a senior officer of Bengal Police said.
A total of six candidates are in the fray, including Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan, who announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the contest.
The TMC described Khan's decision as "personal" and not that of the party.
Despite the announcement, Khan’s name remained on the EVMs as the deadline for officially withdrawing candidature had passed. The BJP has fielded Debangshu Panda, while CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla are also contesting.
The TMC has retained the Falta seat since 2001, except in 2006 when the CPI(M) won the constituency.
