West Bengal state elections 2026
With votes counting underway, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections come to a
conclusion today, where the state went to polls in 2 phases on April 23 and 29, for electing 294
candidates.
However, only the results for 293 seats will be declared today as the Election Commission (EC)
as announced another repoll in all 285 booths of Falta assembly seat, which falls under Diamond
Harbour constituency (South 24 Parganas district).
Flashpoint between BJP and TMC
In a battle between Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and
the opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Falta seat under the
Diamond Harbour constituency has been the political hotspot amongst them in the current
elections.
Diamond Harbour constituency is a core TMC stronghold, represented by MP Abhishek
Bannerjee, nephew of CM Mamata Bannerjee.
“Lyari of Bengal”
Diamond Harbour has lately been in news for not the right reasons. Referred to as the “Lyari of
Bengal” by the BJP in context of alleged Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering during
Phase 2 voting and reports of voter intimidation by TMC in Falta.
Also, Diamond Harbour lies near the Bangladesh border, with purported illegal migration rampant
in the area.
“Lyari” is a crime-ridden area in Pakistan’s Karachi, popularised by the movie ‘Dhurandhar’, which
is a hub for organised crime and gang wars.
The viral confrontation
Prior to Phase 2 voting, IPS Ajay Pal Sharma , an encounter specialist and widely called
“Singham”, had issued a strict warning to TMC candidate Jahangir Khan from Falta, whose video
went viral on social media, triggering a political storm in West Bengal.
Sharma, a Special Police Observer in the state election, had visited the area after receiving
complaints of voter intimidation and alleged collection of voter IDs by Jahangir Khan’s men.
Khan responded saying, “This is Bengal; if he is ‘Singham’, I am ‘Pushpa’. No amount of coercion by BJP-appointed police officials from Uttar Pradesh will be allowed in Falta.”
EVM tampering in Falta
During voting in Falta, the BJP symbol was allegedly deliberately covered with tapes or ink in
multiple booths, preventing voters to cast their vote for BJP, as claimed by the party.
A similar incident had also occurred in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In this light of electoral malpractice, the EC had ordered a repoll in 4 polling stations in Diamond
Harbour.
Failed re-polling
The May 2 re-polling was marred by irregularities, where the locals in Falta area had complained
of alleged threats, harassment and coercion by TMC workers.
This resulted in massive demonstrations in Falta by the voters, including women, which was
followed by “heated arguments” with security personnel deployed there, demanding protection
from them
May 21: fresh re-polling scheduled
The EC has now directed fresh re-polling in all 285 polling stations of Falta, including auxiliary
polling booths, on May 21 between 7am and 6pm, to ensure transparent, free and fair voting.
As per the EC, re-polling has again been scheduled due to “severe electoral offences and largescale subversion of the democratic process” during the voting exercise in Falta.
Observers also reported unauthorised presence in the polling stations as well as EVM tampering.
The counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on May 24.
BJP’s Amit Malviya has termed this development as the crumbling of the “Diamond Harbour
model.”