Falta Assembly repolling: Polling concludes with 87% turnout; Jahangir Khan didn't cast vote | As it happened

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the voter turnout data for re-polling in Falta assembly constituency. As per the latest numbers, the voter turnout is 87.73 per cent.

The central government on Thursday decided to extend the deployment of central forces in West Bengal for another month following a request from the state government. In a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the government said 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will remain deployed in West Bengal till June 20. Read more.

Presiding Officer in the Falta assembly constituency has declared the polling has ended in the polling station number 190. This is also the polling station of TMC leader Jahangir Khan. As per the Presiding Officer, Khan did not cast his vote.

The repolling in the Falta assembly constituency of West Bengal has concluded.

According to the latest information by Election Commission of India (ECI), 86.11 per cent turnout has been recorded till 5 pm.

The poll body will address a press briefing at 6 pm today over the re-polling in the Falta assembly constituency.

TMC leader Jahangir Khan's wife Rozinia Biwi has cast her vote at a polling station. A video has also emerged that showed her arriving at the polling booth, as she tried to evade the media present there.

Till now, the polling in Falta assembly constituency of West Bengal has remained peaceful. Notably, security forces have deployed 35 companies of CAPFs for smooth repolling. 

"Polling has remained peaceful in Falta. We have not received a single report of any problem from anywhere in the constituency. Till 3 pm, 74.10 per cent of polling has been registered," a poll panel official told news agency PTI.

In another development, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has held a meeting to review the post-poll situation in the state. The meeting was held at the Howrah district magistrate's office.

In a high-voltage electoral upset that sent ripples through West Bengal's political ecosystem, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and now Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari pulled off a sweeping victory over Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee not just at the Bhabanipur seat but also in the very ward where she resides. This upset is being widely described as one of the most symbolic turning points in recent state politics. Fresh booth-level data issued by the Election Commission of India highlights the scale of the verdict. Click here to read more.

The Union Home Ministry has decided to continue deploying 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in West Bengal till June 20 for post-poll law and order management based on a request from the West Bengal government, reports PTI.

As per the information available on ECINET app of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a 74.10 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm.

A total of 2.36 lakh electors -- 1,21,300 men, 1,15,135 women and nine third gender individuals -- are eligible to exercise their franchise in the repoll, which started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, reports PTI.

A voter turnout of 60.43 per cent was recorded at the Falta Assembly Constituency till 1 pm, as per the Election Commission. The polling is underway in the constituency.

A voter turnout of 42.83 per cent was recorded at the Falta Assembly Constituency till 11 am, as per the Election Commission. The polling is underway in the constituency.

A voter turnout of 20.47 per cent was recorded at Falta Assembly Constituency till 9 am, as per the Election Commission. The polling is underway in the constituency. 

Polling is underway in the Falta Assembly Constituency. "It is the same as it was back in my childhood. We were scared to cast our votes 15 years back, but not anymore. 15 years back, we were not even allowed to come to the booth, the goons would stop us at the gate…I am very happy today," a voter said. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said TMC's Falta candidate Jahangir Khan "ran away" from the re-election as he would not get any polling agents. "He had no other way, as he won't get a polling agent, so he decided to run away," the CM told the media. 

Falta falls under Abhishek Banerjee's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, and some legislators raised pointed questions about his role and visibility during the campaign. Party insiders say this reflects deeper unease following electoral setbacks. The discussions come at a moment when Banerjee has kept a relatively low public profile after West Bengal Assembly election results.

TMC's internal meeting at Kalighat witnessed visible dissent after Jahangir Khan's abrupt withdrawal from the contest. Several MLAs reportedly questioned why Khan faced no disciplinary action and indirectly criticised senior leadership figures. The issue has revived internal debates over organisational control and decision-making.

The inquiry into the April 29 polling irregularities extended beyond EVM malfunction. Officials say the probe flagged concerns over presiding officers, booth-level staff, and even some observers. The findings eventually prompted the EC to countermand the vote and announce a full repoll.

The EC has significantly expanded surveillance inside and outside polling booths. Each booth will now have two cameras inside and one outside, with live webcasting monitored from the DEO and CEO offices. Drone surveillance is also being considered to ensure complete transparency throughout the day.

Thirty Quick Response Teams have been positioned across the constituency to deal with any disturbance during polling. Election officials say even minor unrest will trigger immediate intervention. The tightened security grid is meant to reassure voters amid heightened political tensions.

To secure all 285 polling stations, around 35 companies of central forces have been deployed across Falta. Poll officials say this is almost double the security presence during the April 29 vote that was later countermanded. The enhanced arrangements are part of the EC's "zero-tolerance" approach to malpractice.

Security has been sharply scaled up for the repoll in the Falta Assembly constituency, with the Election Commission nearly doubling deployment across all booths. Each location will now have one full section of eight CAPF personnel instead of the four deployed earlier. Officials say the move aims to eliminate any possibility of irregularities after last month’s EVM-tampering allegations.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate for Falta Assembly constituency Jahangir Khan announced the withdrawal of his nomination from the re-election for the Falta Assembly constituency. "I am a son of Falta's soil. I would want Falta to stay peaceful, healthy, and good. And I want more and more development for Falta. So let there be a Golden Falta, that was my dream. That's why our Chief Minister is giving a special package for the development of Falta. For that reason, I am withdrawing myself from the upcoming repoll contest on May 21," he said.

The voting has begus across all 285 booths in the Falta Assembly constituency. To ensure prompt action on any disturbances or complaints, 30 Quick Response Teams have been deployed across the region. Authorities say they are closely monitoring the situation to maintain a smooth and secure voting process.

The Election Commission ordered a complete repoll in Falta following widespread allegations of electoral malpractice during the original polling on April 29. Complaints included claims that EVM buttons linked to BJP candidates were covered with white tape at multiple polling stations. The seriousness of these accusations prompted the EC to take unprecedented action.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated Debangshu Panda to contest the repol. With Falta under heavy scrutiny, all eyes are now on how the BJP positions itself for the re-election. Vote counting is scheduled for May 24.

The contest took a dramatic turn when TMC candidate Jahangir Khan withdrew from the race two days ahead of the repoll. The TMC clarified that his move was a "personal decision" and not a party directive. With Khan stepping aside, the repoll has become even more pivotal in the state's political narrative.

The Falta Assembly constituency has turned into one of the most closely watched battlegrounds of the 2026 West Bengal elections after being ordered for a repoll. Situated in South 24 Parganas and falling under the influential Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, the constituency is witnessing intense political contestation. 

A mock poll is currently underway at the Falta polling station as officials prepare for today's repoll in the Falta Assembly constituency. Election teams are testing the systems and ensuring all arrangements are in order before voting resumes.