Repolling began on Saturday morning at 15 booths in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district following complaints of irregularities during the second phase of Assembly elections on April 29. Voting commenced at 7 am and is scheduled to continue till 6 pm under heavy security deployment.

By 1 pm, officials reported 56.33% voter turnout in Magrahat West and 54.9% in Diamond Harbour. Earlier figures showed 38.2% in Magrahat Paschim and 35.92% in Diamond Harbour till 11 am, indicating a gradual pickup through the day.

Fresh Polling After Alleged Irregularities

The Election Commission ordered fresh voting at 11 booths in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour after reports of EVM-related issues and other complaints from the April 29 polling. Specific booths include Bagda Junior High School (PS 117), Roynagar Primary School (PS 243), and several in Najra and Ektara areas.

Local authorities confirmed that Central forces were deployed in strength, particularly in sensitive pockets like Falta and Airpur panchayat. Visuals from polling stations showed queues of voters, with elderly citizens and women with infants being assisted by security personnel.

Minor Glitches and Quick Response

At booth 243 in Roynagar Primary School, Diamond Harbour, a voter reported an EVM malfunction early in the day, leading to a temporary halt of about an hour. Officials intervened promptly, resolved the technical issue, and resumed polling. Such incidents remained isolated, with no major disruptions reported by afternoon.

Brief Tension in Magrahat West

Tension flared briefly in Airpur panchayat under Magrahat Paschim when BJP candidate Gaur Sundar Ghosh arrived at a polling area. TMC workers reportedly raised “Joy Bangla” slogans, prompting intervention by security forces. The situation was brought under control quickly, and polling continued without further escalation.

Local residents in Falta also staged protests alleging threats by political workers, adding to the charged atmosphere. However, both TMC and BJP traded accusations, with the ruling party claiming the BJP was trying to create disturbances.

Political Reactions Pour In

Trinamool Congress leaders, including MP Saugata Roy, described repolling as “not unusual” in Indian elections and cited past instances. Senior TMC leaders raised separate concerns over strong room security and postal ballot handling in Kolkata, with Shashi Panja highlighting alleged lapses at a North Kolkata facility. BJP leaders welcomed the EC’s decision, asserting it addressed genuine complaints of malpractice in TMC-influenced areas.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya welcomed the repolling and predicted a tough time for TMC, while state BJP leaders like Dilip Ghosh dismissed reports of widespread tension as “political theatrics.”

Broader Election Context

West Bengal recorded exceptionally high overall turnout, with 92.84% across 294 seats. The first phase on April 23 saw 93.19% voting, and the second phase on April 29 registered 92.48%. Results for all seats are expected on May 4.

The repolling exercise comes amid heightened political activity. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with counting agents later on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dismissed a TMC plea regarding the appointment of central government employees as counting supervisors.

Security has been tightened at strong rooms across Kolkata, with prohibitory orders in place in key areas. Three-layer verification, including QR code-based identity cards, will be enforced on counting day.

As polling progresses in these 15 booths, all eyes remain on whether this fresh exercise restores full confidence in the process. Officials said they were monitoring the situation closely, with results from these booths to be counted along with the rest on Monday.