The Election Commission (EC) has indicated that repolling will be conducted in West Bengal polling booths where allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) button tampering are found to be true. The statement comes amid claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of irregularities in Falta, located within the Diamond Harbour constituency.
EC flags verification before repoll decision
West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer said that any complaint regarding the taping of EVM buttons would be carefully examined before further action is taken.
"If reports of taping of any button come in, that should be verified and noted. If true, those booths will go for a repoll," the CEO said, as quoted by ANI.
The development has added to the political tension on a day when voting is underway across 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the Assembly elections. The first phase, held on April 23, covered 152 seats and recorded a voter turnout exceeding 92 per cent.
BJP alleges voter suppression in Falta
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Amit Malviya raised concerns over alleged voter suppression in multiple booths in Falta. He claimed that voters were unable to cast their votes for the party due to alleged tampering with EVM buttons.
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."
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.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 29, 2026
In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from… pic.twitter.com/sKw3mcdA86
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Key contest in Diamond Harbour
Falta remains one of the closely watched constituencies in this phase. BJP’s Dipak Kumar Halder is contesting against Trinamool Congress candidate and sitting MLA Panna Lal Halder. The two leaders are facing each other again after the previous election, where Panna Lal Halder won by a margin of 16,996 votes, translating to 7.6 per cent.
The counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections is scheduled for May 4, when the final results will determine the political outcome of the state.
