West Bengal repoll begins at 15 booths amid EVM tampering row; TMC flags CCTV disruptions

Repolling began at 7 am on Saturday at 15 polling stations across two assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, following allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering during the second phase of polling earlier this week.

The fresh voting is being held at 11 booths in the Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and four booths in the Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency.

A senior Election Commission official in Kolkata said further action could follow depending on pending reports.

“Repolls have been ordered in 11 polling stations in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour. We are still awaiting reports regarding complaints from the Falta Assembly seat,” the official said.

TMC raises concerns over strong room surveillance

Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja has written to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal expressing concern over what she described as “intermittent CCTV disruptions” inside strong rooms where EVMs are being stored.

In her letter, Panja sought immediate access to complete surveillance footage and alleged there was a larger strategy by the Bharatiya Janata Party surrounding the repolling process.

77 complaints linked to EVM irregularities

The Election Commission of India reportedly received at least 77 complaints related to alleged EVM tampering during Wednesday’s second phase of voting.

According to officials, several complaints involved party buttons on EVMs being covered with adhesive tape or darkened with ink, preventing voters from casting ballots for certain candidates.

In some booths, attar (perfume oil) was allegedly applied to EVM buttons so that rival political workers could identify voters based on the lingering scent after they cast their vote.

BJP blames TMC, demands wider repoll

The BJP has accused the ruling TMC of orchestrating the alleged tampering and demanded repolling at affected booths.

The controversy intensified after BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya alleged that voters in several polling stations in Falta, which falls under the Diamond Harbour constituency, were prevented from voting for BJP candidates during phase two.

On polling day, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal had said any booth where EVM buttons were found taped would automatically qualify for repolling after complaints surfaced from Falta and surrounding areas.

The repolling is being closely watched as tensions remain high ahead of counting day, with both the TMC and BJP trading sharp allegations over electoral irregularities.