Bengal: BJP leading by over 14,000 votes in Falta repoll

BJP candidate Debangshu Panda established a lead of over 14,000 votes in West Bengal’s Falta assembly repoll after five counting rounds. The repoll was ordered following alleged EVM tampering and polling irregularities, with tight security ensuring high voter turnout across the constituency

Kolkata: BJP’s Debangshu Panda raced ahead of his nearest CPI(M) rival by over 14,000 votes, after the fifth round of counting on Sunday in the repoll to West Bengal’s Falta assembly constituency, according to the Election Commission.

After five of the 21 counting rounds, Panda bagged 30,562 votes, opening up a lead of 14,514 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi, who polled 16,048 votes.

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Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan, who had announced two days before the repoll that he would not contest and described it as a personal decision, trailed in the fourth place with 1,685 votes.

Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla was placed third with 3,510 votes after the fifth round of countng.

Counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security arrangements, an EC official said.

The repoll in all 285 booths of the constituency in South 24 Parganas district was conducted on May 21, after polling held on April 29 was countermanded following allegations of EVM tampering and other irregularities.

The repoll saw more than 87 per cent of the 2.36 lakh electors turning up to vote. The Commission had significantly stepped up security arrangements, deploying around 35 companies of central forces across the constituency to ensure smooth voting.

The total electorate in the constituency comprises 1,21,300 men, 1,15,135 women and nine third-gender individuals.

Tension had gripped the constituency after complaints surfaced during the April 29 polling over alleged use of perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes on EVMs at multiple booths.

Subsequent scrutiny also revealed alleged 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 its findings, the EC ordered repolling in all booths of the constituency.