Falta Repoll Sees Over 74% Turnout Till 3 PM, Voting Remains Peaceful

PTI, May 21, 2026, Kolkata : The repolling in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency on Thursday recorded more than 74 per cent voter turnout till 3 pm, with election officials confirming that polling remained peaceful across the constituency.

A security official stands guard as voters queue during the re-election to the Falta Assembly seat in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (PTI Photo)

According to a poll panel official, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the constituency during the voting process.

The total electorate in the constituency stands at 2.36 lakh, including 1,21,300 male voters, 1,15,135 female voters, and nine third-gender electors. Voting began at 7 am and is scheduled to continue till 6 pm.

The Election Commission had strengthened security arrangements for the repoll after the April 29 polling in the seat was countermanded following allegations of large-scale EVM tampering.

Around 35 companies of central forces have been deployed across 285 polling stations to ensure smooth conduct of voting. In addition, 30 Quick Response Teams have been kept on standby to address any emergency situation.

“Polling has remained peaceful in Falta. We have not received a single report of any problem from anywhere in the constituency. Till 3 pm, 74.10 per cent polling has been recorded,” the poll panel official said.

Large queues of voters were seen outside polling stations since early morning, reflecting strong participation in the repoll process.

Although six candidates are officially in the fray, Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan had announced a few days earlier that he would not contest the election, calling it a personal decision, which the party also acknowledged.

Political tensions had remained high in the constituency since the April 29 polling, when multiple complaints from booths alleged that perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes had been applied to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), leading to the Election Commission’s decision to countermand the original poll.