Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a strong lead of over 69,000 votes after 15 rounds of counting in the repoll for West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency, according to Election Commission data on Sunday.
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda is significantly ahead of his nearest rival from the CPI(M), as counting continues under tight security arrangements. The margin reportedly stood at around 69,673 votes after 15 of the 21 counting rounds.
The Falta repoll was conducted on May 21 across all 285 polling booths after the original polling held on April 29 was countermanded following allegations of irregularities, including EVM-related issues. The repoll witnessed a high voter turnout, with officials describing the exercise as one of the most closely monitored in the constituency.
Election officials said counting began early on Sunday morning at designated centres with heavy deployment of security personnel. The process has been proceeding in a phased manner, with trends showing a consistent and widening lead for the BJP candidate as counting progressed.
CPI(M) remains in second position, while Congress is trailing far behind. Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan, who had earlier announced withdrawal from the contest, is also in the fray due to procedural constraints, but remains well behind in the tally.
Political reactions have already begun, with BJP supporters celebrating the strong lead and opposition parties questioning the electoral process and administrative handling of the repoll.
The Falta constituency has remained politically significant due to its history of closely fought contests, and the current results are expected to have implications for the broader political landscape in South 24 Parganas district.
Counting is still underway, and final results are expected after completion of all rounds.
