NEW DELHI, May 1: The Election Commission of India has ordered re-polling on Saturday in 15 booths in two Assembly constituencies of Diamond Harbor and Magrahat Paschim in West Bengal following complaints of irregularities.
Re-polling will take place at 11 polling stations in Magrahat Paschim and 4 in Diamond Harbor on Saturday, the poll body said in its order.
“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 Harbor 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 aforementioned 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,” Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer wrote in the order.
Voting in all 15 polling stations will start at 7 am and end at 6 pm, the officer said. “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 added.
Voting in West Bengal took place in two phases — on April 23 and April 29, with the state recording its highest-ever voter turnout since Independence. No re-polling was required to be held in any of the 152 constituencies which went to polls in the first phase on April 23. The combined voter turnout of the two phases was 92.47 per cent, the poll body said. Votes will be counted on May 4.
The Election Commission is on high alert to prevent possible post-poll violence. The Kolkata Police have banned gatherings in seven areas where votes will be counted, after Trinamool Congress leaders staged a protest at Netaji Indoor Stadium, alleging that ballot boxes were opened in the absence of the party’s authorized representatives. West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has dismissed the Trinamool’s allegations.
(Rohit Kumar)
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