The Election Commission of India has ruled out any repoll in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, declaring polling across all 44,376 booths as legally and procedurally sound.
Voting was held on April 23 across 152 constituencies.
The Commission said the decision followed an extensive post-poll scrutiny conducted on April 24, during which electoral documents were verified under the supervision of Returning Officers and General Observers.
Officials said Form 17-A (Register of Voters) and other records were examined to ensure compliance with prescribed norms. More than 600 candidates and their authorised representatives were present during the verification process, while all 1,478 candidates were informed in advance about the schedule and venue.
The entire exercise was videographed, and all documents were resealed and secured under official supervision after scrutiny, the Commission said.
In a parallel development, the poll panel also ruled out any repoll in Tamil Nadu, where voting was conducted across 75,064 polling booths.
The Commission said Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units have been secured in designated strong rooms under strict surveillance.
Security measures include a double-lock system, round-the-clock CCTV monitoring and deployment of a two-tier security arrangement. Returning Officers have been directed to inspect strong rooms twice daily, while District Election Officers will conduct regular oversight.
As an additional transparency measure, candidates’ representatives have been allowed to camp outside the strong rooms to keep vigil over the stored machines.
The Commission noted that the absence of any repoll, despite a voter turnout of 92.88 per cent, reflects effective administrative oversight and adherence to electoral procedures in a politically charged environment.
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