New Delhi/Kolkata: The Supreme Court declared on Saturday that the Election Commission’s circular mandating the deployment of central government employees as counting supervisors stands “not contrary to rules,” directly addressing apprehensions voiced in a plea filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
This ruling came as the apex court examined the TMC’s legal challenge to the EC’s decision, which seeks to ensure impartiality by prioritizing central staff over state employees for key counting roles ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections’ results on May 4.
Repolling Starts With Modest Turnout
Repolling continues on Saturday at 15 polling stations in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district — covering Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour assembly constituencies — following Election Commission directives triggered by reports of electoral malpractices, as reported by The Hindustan Times.
Over 16% voter turnout was recorded till 9 am in Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour amid the repolling process.
This follows Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering allegations from Wednesday’s second-phase polling. Repolling began at 7 am Saturday at the 15 stations across the two segments.
The exercise involves 11 booths in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour.
“Repolls have been ordered in 11 polling stations in the Magrahat Paschim Assembly seat and four polling stations in the Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency. We are still awaiting reports regarding the complaints from the Falta Assembly seat,” said a senior official of the poll panel in Kolkata.
EVM Tampering Complaints Surge
The ECI received at least 77 complaints linked to EVM tampering during West Bengal’s second-phase elections.
Officials described cases where a political party’s EVM buttons were covered with adhesive tape or darkened with ink, blocking votes; in others, attar was applied to buttons for identification by rivals.
BJP Calls for Expanded Repolls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded repolls, alleging the ruling TMC orchestrated the tampering.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya claimed voters were prevented from supporting the party candidate at several booths in Falta under Diamond Harbour during phase two.
West Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal stated on polling day that polling booths with taped EVM buttons would face repolling, after BJP raised irregularities in Falta under Diamond Harbour.
