Video missing, companion voting: Why EC scrapped Falta poll, ordered repoll in all 285 booths

The Election Commission on Saturday ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, declaring the April 29 poll void after citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process.”

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The EC said fresh polling, including at auxiliary stations, will take place on May 21 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. under “stringent security arrangements to ensure a free, fair and transparent” exercise.

Counting for the constituency will now be held on May 24.

The order came after the poll panel reviewed reports submitted by the Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officer, Returning Officer and other field officials, along with inputs from observers and material on record.

According to the Commission, observers flagged allegations of voter intimidation, unauthorised presence inside booths and possible tampering.

The EC said that “in view of the gravity of the incidents reported and the vitiation of the poll process, the Commission hereby declares the poll held on April 29 in Falta Assembly Constituency as void and orders a fresh poll in all polling stations.”

Why Falta vote was scrapped

Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay, who tracks the Bengal BJP, shared a document detailing a series of serious procedural violations and irregularities reported at various polling stations.  

– According to the document, at stations like PS 78, 80, 144, 227, 231, 235, 232, and 247, reports indicate that companions frequently cast votes on behalf of voters, unauthorised persons entered voting compartments, and polling agents were observed instructing voters or casting votes themselves.

– Significant gaps in video footage were identified at multiple locations. Notably, PS 229 had no footage from the start of polling until 3:41 PM, while others like PS 226, 230, and 245 reported missing clips for various timeframes during the day.

– At booth 224, observers reported an “extremely large number of instances” in which companions cast votes throughout the day, including the same individuals voting multiple times.

– The Commission also said Action Taken Reports from officials at booths 161 and 163 appeared “unreliable and untruthful.”

– In another serious lapse, the Returning Officer for a large cluster of booths, including 10, 76, 77, 99, 100, 118, 138, 140, 146, 156, 165, 186, 193 and 218, failed to produce footage between 2 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. on April 30, leaving allegations of voter intimidation and obstruction unverified.

– The EC directed authorities to deploy adequate central forces, micro-observers and webcasting facilities wherever required, and ordered the entire polling process to be videographed and closely monitored to prevent “any recurrence of malpractice.”

Jahangir Khan vs Debangshu Panda vs Abdur Razzak Molla

The Falta seat has drawn political attention because local TMC leader Jahangir Khan is in the fray against BJP candidate Debangshu Panda and Congress nominee Abdur Razzak Molla. CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi is also contesting.

BJP’s former Bengal President Sukanta Majumdar welcomed the order and called it a “victory of the women of Falta” over the “atrocities” of Jahangir Khan.