Kolkata: The Election Commission on Thursday ordered repolling at one booth in the Jangipara assembly constituency in West Bengal's Hooghly district following complaints by political parties alleging that Trinamool Congress had engaged agents who had accompanied and assisted voters to cast their votes in favour of the TMC, an EC official said.
Following the reports of the returning officer and the observer on the complaints, the EC has ordered the repoll on April 10 from 7 am to 6.30 pm, he said. Polling in the Jangipara constituency was held in the third phase on April 6.
The repolling in the polling booth in the constituency will take place simultaneously with the fourth phase of polling in the state. The BJP candidate in Jangipara assembly seat, Debjit Sarkar told a news agency, "This is a welcome move. All the political parties had complained that TMC agents were taking people inside the polling booth, accompanying them to the EVMs and making them vote for them. Even the polling officer could not do anything. We had complained to the EC and I am happy that it has ordered a repoll."
When contacted, TMC candidate Snehasish Chakraborty rubbished the allegations and said that the repoll was "absolutely unnecessary". "It is nothing but harassment for the voters. The polling was absolutely peaceful and everyone participated in it freely. I do not understand why the EC ordered the repoll. It is absolutely meaningless," Chakraborty told a news agency.
The third phase of polling was held in 31 assembly constituencies in three districts of West Bengal on April 6, where a total voters' turnout of 84.61 per cent was registered.
The fourth phase of the poll will see voters exercising their franchise in 44 constituencies spread across five districts of Howrah, South 24 Parganas, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Hoogly.
PTI
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