Kolkata: In an absolutely peaceful repolling for the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district Thursday, a high voting percentage of 20.47 was recorded in the first two hours till 9 a.m.
Not a single report of violence, tension or electoral malpractices surfaced from any of the 285 polling booths within Falta.
With the Trinamool Congress candidate, Jahangir Khan, having announced his withdrawal from the contest last week, the party’s polling agents were missing in all the polling booths. Not even a single temporary camp office of the previous ruling party was visible anywhere within the constituency.
Shutters were down and locked at the main party office of Khan, whose terror once ruled the entire Falta region. Even the Trinamool Congress candidate was not available at his residence in the Srirampur area in Falta.
However, the agents of other candidates of the major political parties, namely Bharatiya Janata Party, CPI(M) and Congress were present at all 285 polling booths.
The temporary camp offices of these parties were also seen operating in different parts of Falta with the Election Commission of India (ECI)-stipulated number of party workers.
However, despite his announcement of withdrawal from the contest, Khan’s name appeared on the EVM pads, making his announcement merely symbolic.
Long queues of voters were witnessed in front of the polling booth since the beginning of the repolling at 7 a.m. The scorching summer heat could not dampen the enthusiasm of the voters.
Many voters claimed that the last time they were able to cast their votes was in the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections, which marked the end of the 34-year Left Front regime and the beginning of the 15-year Trinamool Congress regime.
“My entire family has been traditionally Trinamool Congress supporters. But even after that, we were not allowed to cast our votes in any of the elections after 2011. Jahangir trusted no one except his own confidant followers. We could not even vote April 29, when the polls here were held in the second phase of the two-phase West Bengal Assembly elections. But this time we are voting without fear, thanks to the security arrangements made by the ECI,” a voter told media persons standing in the queue.
A total of 35 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed for repolling, which is significantly high for a single Assembly constituency.
