Repolling Underway At 2 Bengal Constituencies After EVM Allegations & Violence Mar Final Phase

Repolling being conducted at a booth in Barasat and another in Mathurapur. Repolling decision taken on Sunday based on inputs from returning officers, district election officers and observers.  

The Election Commission had ordered repolling on Sunday at these booths.

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Repolling is being conducted on Monday in two West Bengal booths — one each in the Barasat and Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituencies — that voted in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. The repolling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, according to a PTI report. 

The report said the booth in the Barasat constituency is located at the Kadambagachi Saradar Para FP School, whereas the one in Mathurapur is located at the Aaddir Mahal Srichaitanya Bidyapith. 

The decision to conduct a repoll, the PTI report said, was taken on Sunday based on inputs from returning officers, district election officers and the observers concerned.  

The Election Commission ordered repolling on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to the EC seeking repolling at several booths in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, but the poll panel refused to accept the request.  

Sporadic incidents of violence were reported during the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections, when nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal voted. Workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Indian Secular Front (ISF) and BJP clashed in various parts of Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies.

In Jadavpur, a confrontation at Bhangar between TMC and ISF backers led to allegations from both sides about crude bombs being hurled.

Kolkata Police said the incident happened in the morning before the poll process began.

"This incident happened in the morning around 6 am much before the polling process in Bengal. Police and CAPF immediately intervened and have taken steps against miscreants. Legal action initiated. Polling in Bhangar started without any interruption and is going on peacefully," Kolkata Police posted on X.

According to PTI, the EC said it had received 1,450 complaints until 11 am on Saturday from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths.