Falta Constituency Goes for Repoll Amid Tight Central Force Deployment

In a significant development, the Election Commission has ordered a complete repoll in Falta assembly seat of West Bengal after multiple complaints of electoral malpractice surfaced during the second phase of voting. The fresh exercise will be held on Thursday at all 285 booths, with voting scheduled from morning to evening. Heavy deployment of central paramilitary forces has been made to maintain law and order and to prevent any repeat of the alleged tampering that occurred on April 29. Reports indicated that buttons on EVMs favoring opposition candidates were obscured with tape, prompting swift action from authorities. The Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan had earlier declared his intention to step aside from the contest, but his name remains on the ballot. Officials from the Chief Electoral Officer's office stated that polling staff are fully prepared and the entire process is under constant surveillance to ensure transparency. Results of this repoll are scheduled to be declared on May 24. The scale of security forces deployed underscores the importance of conducting the election in a peaceful and impartial manner.