Counting for the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district started at 8 a.m. on Sunday under strict security measures. The repolling, as directed by the Election Commission of India on May 21, will have 21 rounds of counting, with results expected by 1 p.m. according to sources from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
The Trinamool Congress counting agents were notably absent from the counting center. The party’s candidate, Jahangir Khan, withdrew from the contest just before the repolling on May 21, although his name remained on the voting machines.
Despite Khan’s symbolic withdrawal, the polling process on May 21 was peaceful, with a high voter turnout of over 88%. The BJP, CPI(M), and Congress candidates for Falta are Debangshu Panda, Shambhu Kurmi, and Abdur Razzak respectively.
In the 2021 elections, Trinamool Congress’ Shankar Kumar Nashkar won from Falta with a significant margin. The constituency has been a stronghold for the party, with Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, having won the seat multiple times.
Polling irregularities in Falta during the recent elections led to repolling across the entire constituency following an inquiry by the Election Commission of India.
