Poll body orders ground inspection after multiple complaints of irregularities in West Bengal’s second phase voting
April 30, 2026: The Election Commission of India is reviewing demands for repolling in 77 booths across four Assembly constituencies in South 24 Parganas following the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 held on April 29. Officials said the Commission received 32 complaints from Falta, 29 from Diamond Harbour, 13 from Magrahat and three from Budge Budge, raising concerns over possible irregularities during voting.
Complaints cited issues such as EVM malfunction, alleged tampering, voter intimidation and attempts to obstruct surveillance systems. A senior official said the volume and seriousness of the allegations prompted the Commission to take extra caution. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has directed Special Observer Subrata Gupta to conduct on-ground inspections before any decision is made.
Gupta is currently visiting the affected booths and interacting with observers to assess the situation. A particularly serious allegation has emerged from Magrahat Paschim, where claims of spy cameras being used to monitor voters surfaced. The Commission will take a final call on repolling after receiving the observer’s report, with the possibility of fresh polling as early as Friday if required.