West Bengal Repoll: Over 55% Voter Turnout Till 1 PM in South 24 Parganas
Over 55 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm during the repoll in 15 booths across two assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, officials said.
The repoll, ordered by the Election Commission of India following allegations of electoral malpractices, is being conducted in 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour.
Polling has largely remained peaceful, though a minor controversy was reported at booth number 179 in Diamond Harbour. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces, sparking protests by party workers and locals. Election officials later said the situation was handled.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. According to officials, Magrahat Paschim recorded a turnout of 56.33 per cent, while Diamond Harbour registered 54.9 per cent voting till 1 pm, taking the combined turnout to 55.57 per cent.
Authorities stated that adequate deployment of central forces has been ensured and webcasting is being carried out to monitor polling in real time.
The repoll decision was taken based on reports from returning officers and observers citing “material circumstances” during the earlier phase of voting held on April 29.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC candidate Md Samim Ahamed Molla is contesting against BJP’s Goursundar Ghosh, along with candidates from Congress and ISF. In Diamond Harbour, TMC’s Panna Lal Halder is up against BJP nominee Dipak Kumar Halder, with Congress and CPI(M) candidates also in the fray.
The BJP had earlier alleged widespread irregularities in polling stations under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Abhishek Banerjee. The Election Commission had subsequently deputed special observer Subrata Gupta to assess the situation.
The poll panel is also expected to take a decision on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency. The West Bengal Assembly elections were held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
