West Bengal Re-Poll: Massive 90% Turnout Marks High-Stakes Repoll in West Bengal Assembly Seats

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 90% in the repoll conducted today at 15 polling stations across two Assembly constituencies

“We asked EC how TMC workers entered strongroom in the presence of CRPF,” says BJP leader Tapas Roy over counting center controversy.

West Bengal Re-polling: Amid rain, voting is underway for the state assembly elections, with voters queuing up outside a polling station in Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency, South 24 Parganas

Till 5 pm, 86.11% approximate voter turnout recorded in Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency.

On locals protesting over alleged threats by TMC workers in Falta Assembly constituency, Police officer Shantanu Sen says, "The situation is peaceful, they have complaints. They are requested to go to the police station and file their complaints. Whatever complaints they have, legal action will be taken."
 

Based on the voter turnout figures recorded at 5:00 PM, here is the data broken down by Assembly Constituency (AC):

• 142-Magrahat Paschim: 86.11%
• 143-Diamond Harbour: 87.60%
• Total Poll Percentage: 86.90%

With just 48 hours remaining until the announcement of the Bengal mandate, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened a high-level strategy session at her residence. Accompanied by Abhishek Banerjee, the Chief Minister addressed a wide audience of Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers who joined the meeting virtually. During the huddle, she delivered a confident scoop to her cadres, assuring them of a decisive victory and projecting that the party would secure more than 200 seats to retain power.

On the ongoing Re-polling in West Bengal TMC's MP Saugata Roy said that, “Polling percentage dropping in re-polls is not unusual."

Barrackpore BJP candidate Kaustuv Bagchi says, "We welcome the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a re-poll in 15 booths as there were complaints of proxy voting."
 

On WB assembly election, RJD MP Manoj Jha says, "... The Supreme Court should have looked at matters as a whole. Seeing it only from one angle does not help people understand. It would have been better if the Court had addressed the concerns of a large voter base and ensured those doubts were dispelled on counting day. That would have set a stronger precedent."

On Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's alcohol controversy, he says, "... I believe it is not appropriate to comment. If the charges are baseless, it is still worrying; if they have substance, it is even more serious. This should not end as mere episodic statements. Each side must evaluate its role in line with democratic traditions."

Bengal Re-polling: Magrahat Paschim has recorded a voter turnout of 72.50% and Diamond Harbour 72.36% as of 3 pm.

West Bengal Re-Poll LIVE: TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has arrived at Chief Minsiter Mamata Banerjee's residence.

The leaders are set to hold a video conference with counting agents and relevant party stakeholders today.

When asked if he thinks there will be a repoll in Falta, State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal says, "...Repoll is only done based on the assessment of the poll which has taken place. Assessment was done by the State General Observer and the team there; they have sent a report. Let us see what the status is."

He further says, "The difference between other areas and Falta is - in Diamond Harbour, it (discrepancies) was found only in 4 places. In Magrahat, it was found in 11 places. But here, a large number of booths are there. That is why, EC has to take a decision based on the totality of the situation."

"...My order stood the test of time. My order was very practical and very independent. It was meant to ensure free and fair counting," he says on Supreme Court refusing to pass any order in the matter “except to reiterate the statement submitted by the ECI’s counsel that the circular in challenge would be implemented” on AITC's plea against Calcutta High Court order rejecting its plea that challenged the deployment of only Central government and PSU employees as supervisors in the vote counting in West Bengal assembly elections.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | Kolkata: When asked if he thinks there will be a repoll in Falta, State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal says, "...Repoll is only done based on the assessment of the poll which has taken place. Assessment was done by the State… pic.twitter.com/IpLa8YEX15

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2026

Bengal Re-polling: Congress Assam election in-charge Bhanwar Jitendra Singh on Saturday expressed confidence that the party would win in state Assembly elections, claiming that the people's trust was shifting towards Congress due to issues such as "corruption" and “mafia raj.” 

"There is a very positive sign that we will win this election on the basis of the people's trust on us. They have various issues like corruption, mafia raj that is running... Exit polls are all wrong, they predicted 400+ seats for BJP in Lok Sabha while in reality, they could not even reach 250 seats," Singh said.

Bengal Re-polling: Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday said the number of booths selected for repolling in the state was "very low", while alleging there had been "no verdict on Falta" despite complaints of irregularities.

"I think this number (15 booths) is very low and there has been no verdict on Falta. A lot of EVM buttons were tampered with there by TMC... Anyway, let the voting conclude quickly and let the people's verdict come on May 4; that is the most important thing," Majumdar told.

Bengal Re-polling: Repolling in West Bengal saw steady voter participation, with Magrahat Paschim recording a turnout of 56.33% and Diamond Harbour 54.9% as of 1 pm, officials said.

Bengal Re-polling: A local woman alleged that TMC’s Israfil Chowkidar threatened residents, claiming that if his opponents win, houses would be burned and violence would be carried out in the area.\

Bengal Re-polling: Local residents and a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader staged a protest at Booth No. 179 in the Diamond Harbour constituency this morning. The demonstration erupted over allegations that central forces "detained" a person with a disability and his mother near the polling station, sparking immediate tension in the area.

Bengal Re-polling: A TMC leader and candidate from Shyampukur constituency alleged irregularities at a strong room, claiming security personnel initially denied entry despite candidates being allowed inside. He said police later intervened to clarify the rule.

Bengal Re-polling: Polling in the ongoing repolling exercise recorded 38.2 per cent voter turnout in Magrahat Paschim and 35.92 per cent in Diamond Harbour till 11 am. Voting is underway across the identified booths in South 24 Parganas district.

Bengal Re-polling: The Supreme Court on Saturday declined to pass any directions on a plea filed by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) challenging the Calcutta High Court order, which had rejected its petition against the alleged deployment of only Central government employees as voter counting supervisors in the West Bengal assembly election. 

A special Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi was constituted on a Saturday to hear the matter urgently, as vote counting is scheduled to begin on May 4, and the petitioner argued that any delay would render the plea infructuous.

Bengal Re-polling: BJP leader Amit Malviya on Saturday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision not to pass any directions on plea filed by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) challenging the Calcutta High Court order, which had rejected its petition against the alleged deployment of only Central government employees as voter counting supervisors in the West Bengal assembly election. 

Malviya said that the decision to "not intervene" sends a clear message that any "attempts to influence or cast doubt over the integrity of the counting process will not find easy validation."
 

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: A government employee claiming to be Joint BDO of Diamond Harbour Block 2 was confronted while allegedly in a drunken state as he attempted to enter a polling station. His election ID card identified him as an Assistant Returning Officer.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE:  Tension prevailed at the Barasat strong room after allegations surfaced that CCTV cameras were switched off between 4:05 am and 8:22 am, with Trinamool Congress candidate from Ashoknagar Narayan Goswami claiming the surveillance system remained non-functional for a significant period and rushing to the site after being informed. However, the Election Commission clarified that while a display monitor may have been turned off, the CCTV cameras themselves were functioning.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE:  Polling has remained peaceful so far, with no reports of violence or unrest from either of the two assembly constituencies, an Election Commission official told. He added that adequate central forces have been deployed across both constituencies to ensure security, while webcasting of polling stations is underway, allowing authorities to closely monitor the entire voting process in real time.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE:  Shashi Panja on Saturday arrived at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, which has been converted into a strongroom for the secure storage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for May 4. 

Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at the venue, with multiple layers of barricading and personnel deployed to ensure the safety of the EVMs.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Setback for TMC as Supreme Court Backs Election Commission on Counting Supervisors 

A day after organising a sit-in over alleged irregularities in EVM strongrooms in West Bengal, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) filed an official complaint against the Returning Officer at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra on Saturday. 

The AITC claims that "unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers" occurred. The center is being used as a strongroom to store several EVMs, with counting set to take place on May 4.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE:  Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday flagged concern over a notice to deploy contractual employees on duty on the day of vote counting in Pingla and Daspur constituencies. 

Adhikari accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of an attempt to manipulate the mandate and urged the Election Commission to intervene. 

In an X post, Adhikari wrote, "Is the fate of Democracy being handed over to contractual workers? It is a matter of grave concern and a direct assault on the sanctity of the democratic process. I am appalled to see the Counting Orders issued for 227-Pingla AC and 230-Daspur AC, where a significant number of Contractual and Casual Employees have been deployed for critical counting duties."

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Voting began on a steady note in parts of West Bengal, with early turnout figures indicating moderate participation in two key assembly constituencies. By 9 AM, Magrahat Paschim recorded an approximate voter turnout of 16.68%, while Diamond Harbour stood at 15.83%, according to initial polling updates.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: BJP candidate from Jorasanko Assembly constituency Vijay Ojha dismissed allegations of EVM tampering raised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), asserting confidence in the electoral process after repolling was ordered in parts of West Bengal following directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Voting at the Roynagar FP School polling station in Diamond Harbour came to a standstill for more than thirty minutes as officials addressed an unfolding issue on-site.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a special bench to hear the TMC's plea against the Calcutta High Court's rejection of its petition over the deployment of only Central government and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) employees as supervisors for vote counting in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with all counting agents of the party on Saturday afternoon, two days before the counting of votes cast in the assembly elections, as per news reports.

The meeting, fixed for 4 pm, will be attended by counting agents from the 291 Assembly constituencies where the ruling party fielded candidates.

West Bengal Repoll: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shashi Panja has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deliberately attempted to "provoke" unrest during polling in West Bengal as part of a "strategy" to force repolling in multiple booths and defame the state. 

West Bengal Minister and TMC candidate Shashi Panja is contesting from the Shyampukur seat against BJP candidate Purnima Chakraborty.
 

West Bengal Repoll: Voters in Diamond Harbour constituency in West Bengal acknowledged the irregularities with polling on April 29, and stated that re-polling held on Saturday was “fine.” 

After voting at booth number 117, in Diamond Harbour constituency, a voter told ANI, “It was fine earlier too, it is fine now as well. Such things (re-polling) keep happening. There is no problem.” 

Another voter at the booth stated, "The machine was malfunctioning the last time. It is fine in the re-polling."

West Bengal Repolls: The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a special bench to hear the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) plea on Saturday against the Calcutta high court's rejection of its plea that challenged the deployment of only Central government and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) employees as supervisors for vote counting in the West Bengal assembly elections.

West Bengal Repolls: Shankar Ghosh attributed the TMC's allegations against the ECI to the party's 'fear of election defeat'. 

The BJP leader said, "I think the CM is trying to make some kind of narrative. The allegations from TMC show that they are scared of the election defeat. So, they are only trying to mislead the people. I think this kind of statement from the state's ruling party is quite natural, as everybody knows that TMC is going to be removed from power by the people. I think this kind of false allegation will not be able to save their faces, and the Election Commission is doing its best to protect everything."

West Bengal Election re-polling: West Bengal Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar alleged collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP, claiming public faith in the poll body has eroded. He also criticised exit polls as “propaganda” aiding the BJP, while urging all parties to wait for final results and expressing confidence in voters’ judgement.
 

West Bengal Election re-polling: Voters queue up outside the polling booth at Uttar Yearpur F.P. School in Magrahat Paschim Assembly Constituency in South 24 Parganas district, as they await their turn to cast a vote.

West Bengal Elections Re-polling: A voter shows her inked finger after casting a vote at booth number 117, Bagda Junior High School, in Diamond Harbour Assembly Constituency in South 24 Parganas district.

West Bengal Re-Poll: TMC leader Tanmay Ghosh said, "The CM's statement is the statement of all the people of Bengal, while the statement of the CEO is the statement of BJP. The election officials have already accepted that there were some issues and they segregated ballots without informing AITC. Why was this done at night when no one was watching... There was a distorting tendency by the Election Commission, which is condemnable and the people of Bengal will fight it till 4th May."

West Bengal Re-Poll: In her letter dated May 1, Panja raised objections over reported interruptions in CCTV surveillance at multiple strong room locations, stating that such lapses could compromise the integrity and security of stored electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPATs. 

She cited reports of disruptions and inconsistencies from several locations, including strong rooms in Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Gaighata Assembly constituency, Chandernagore Government College, and Jangipur Polytechnic College, among many others.

West Bengal Re-Poll: Ahead of repolling in 15 booths of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta said security deployment would remain at the same scale but with enhanced vigilance. 

Speaking on the arrangements for the repoll, Gupta said on Friday, "The deployment will be at the same scale, but with more attention..."

West Bengal Re-Poll: Voting commenced at 7 AM this Saturday for the West Bengal Assembly election repolls, with 11 booths in Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour participating. In the Diamond Harbour constituency, queues of voters were already visible early in the morning outside booth number 117 at Bagda Junior High School in South 24 Parganas.

West Bengal Re-Polls: The repoll decision has triggered sharp political reactions from both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. While the BJP has welcomed the move, it has argued that irregularities were more widespread and warranted broader action.

The TMC, meanwhile, has questioned the conduct of election officials and alleged lack of transparency in certain procedures. Leaders from both parties have exchanged allegations, turning the repoll into a key political flashpoint.

The developments reflect the high-stakes nature of the election and the deep contest between the two camps.
 

West Bengal Polls: Authorities have deployed security personnel at the same scale as earlier phases but with enhanced vigilance to prevent any untoward incidents. Special focus has been placed on sensitive polling stations, with additional monitoring mechanisms and quick-response teams in place.

West Bengal Polls: The Election Commission ordered repolling after reports highlighted serious irregularities during the April 29 voting. Key concerns included non-functional CCTV cameras, which disrupted real-time monitoring, and allegations of EVM tampering in certain booths. 

In some instances, party symbols were reportedly covered using tape, raising questions about voter choice.

West Bengal Polls: Repolling has commenced at 7 am in 15 polling stations across Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, under heightened security arrangements. Election officials have ensured early deployment of personnel and monitoring systems to prevent any recurrence of irregularities reported during the previous phase.