West Bengal: Counting underway in Falta amid tight security; massive lead for BJP in early trends
Counting of votes for the repolling in the 144-Falta Legislative Assembly constituency in West Bengal began on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Falta is Debangshu Panda, the CPI(M) candidate is Shambhu Kurmi, and the Congress candidate is Abdur Razzak.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsCounting of votes for the repolling in the 144-Falta Legislative Assembly constituency in West Bengal began on Sunday at Diamond Harbour Women's University amid tight security. The repolling was conducted on May 21. There will be a total of 21 rounds of counting.
Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers outside the university premises, where the strong room was secured ahead of the counting process.
The repoll in Falta was ordered after irregularities were reported during polling in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which were held in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
Trinamool agents absent at centre
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) counting agents were absent from the counting centre, according to IANS. The party candidate, Jahangir Khan, withdrew from the contest immediately before the repolling on May 21.
However, his staying away from voting was merely symbolic since he made the announcement just two days before the repoll and had participated in the first polling. His name continued to be active on the EVM on the repolling day.
Polling conducted on May 21
The polling process on May 21 was conducted peacefully. Many voters, standing in queues on that day, claimed that this was the first time that they could vote peacefully without intimidation, obstruction and fear.
The polling percentage was quite high at over 88 per cent, IANS reported.
Candidates in fray
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Falta is Debangshu Panda, the CPI(M) candidate is Shambhu Kurmi, and the Congress candidate is Abdur Razzak.
After the first round of counting for the repolling of the Falta Assembly constituency, BJP's Debangshu Panda is comfortably ahead of his closest opponents by a margin of over 76,000 votes.
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress' Shankar Kumar Nashkar was elected from Falta, one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, by a margin of 41,000 votes.
Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress' general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, has represented this seat three times.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Falta Assembly constituency gave Banerjee a lead margin of around 1,20,000 votes, which opposition parties described as a mockery of the polling process.
Why was repolling conducted in Falta?
Polling for the Falta Assembly constituency was conducted on April 29 in the second phase of the recently concluded two-phase Assembly polls in the state.
However, on April 29, several complaints of electoral malpractices were reported in Falta. At several polling booths, the EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of BJP candidates were covered with white tape.
Reportedly, many voters took to the streets after they were not allowed to vote, allegedly by Jahangir Khan's supporters.
Subsequently, special poll observer Subrata Gupta, currently serving as advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, personally visited Falta and conducted an inquiry.
West Bengal election result 2026
The BJP formed its first government in West Bengal after winning 207 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections, with Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as Chief Minister.
(with agencies' inputs)
Also Read: West Bengal: TMC's Jahangir Khan withdraws nomination 2 days before Falta repoll - But why?