The Election Commission has ordered repolling at one polling station each in West Bengal’s Barasat and Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituencies on June 3, newswire ANI reported. This comes just a day before the scheduled vote counting on June 4.
According to the Commission’s directive, the repolling will take place at 61 Kadambagachi Saradar Pada FP School, Room No. 2 of 120-Deganga Assembly Constituency in the 17-Barasat Parliamentary Constituency, and 26 Aaddir Mahal Srichaitanya Bidyapith FP School of 131-Kakdwip Assembly Constituency in the 20-Mathurapur (SC) Parliamentary Constituency, ANI reported.
In an official statement, the Election Commissioner said, “I am directed to state that on the basis of reports received from the concerned RO/the concerned DEO/the Observers of 17-Barasat PC and 20-Mathurapur (SC) PC. regarding poll taken for General Election to Lok Sabha for West Bengal State, 2024, held on 1 June, 2024 and after taking all material circumstances into account, the Commission, hereby declares under sub-section (2) of Section 58 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, that the poll taken on 1 June, 2024 for aforesaid election at the following polling stations (as mentioned in Column 3 of the table below) to be void and appoints 3 June, 2024 as the date and fixes the hours as mentioned in Column (4) of the table below, for taking a fresh poll at the said polling stations in accordance with Commission’s instructions contained in paragraphs 13.62 of Chapter XIII of Hand Book for Returning Officer, 2023.”
The decision follows reports of violence and clashes between political supporters during the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. Notably, clashes erupted between supporters of Trinamool Congress (TMC), Indian Secular Front (ISF), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in various parts of the state.
Specific incidents of violence were reported at Bayarbari in Basirhat, where Trinamool Congress and BJP workers clashed, and at Meraganj in South 24 Parganas district, resulting in several injuries.
In a related incident, West Bengal police faced resistance from local women in Basirhat’s Sandeshkhali on Sunday while attempting to arrest BJP worker Sadhan Nandi, allegedly involved in Saturday’s violence. A scuffle ensued during the police operation.
The repolling will occur on June 3, 2024, under heightened security measures to ensure a peaceful and fair voting process.
(With Inputs from ANI)
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Published: 03 Jun 2024, 06:43 AM IST