However, opposition parties have demanded that all wards go into re-elections after Sunday's violence
Amidst heavy protests by opposition parties demanding a re-poll at the three municipal areas that went to poll on Sunday, the State Election Commissioner of West Bengal AK Singh on Monday declared a re-poll at six booths due to incidences of violence that were reported on Sunday.
The six booths that will have a re-election on Tuesday are Pujali in South 24 Parganas and Domkal in Murshidabad district. In Pujali, polling stations 11 and 12 of ward 5 and polling station 19 at ward 9 would have a re-election, while polling stations 95 and 96 of ward 20 in Domkal will also have re-elections. Finally, polling station number 22 of ward 7 in Raiganj in North Dinajpore district will also go to repolls.
The final turnout in Sunday’s poll had been 75.52% in the seven municipal areas with the highest being at Pujali with 89.3%. The lowest was recorded in Darjeeling where 59.9% turned out. Sources at the SEC said that the decision was taken on the basis of reports sent by the district magistrate and SP of the districts concerned.
According to the report of the presiding officer, the number of voters at polling station number 22 of Ward number 10 as recorded through Form 16A was 682 and the number of electors at the end of the day or the number of people who had cast their votes was 688
Leaders of the Opposition parties reacted sharply to the decision of the State Election Commissioner.
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury threw a challenge at the state government saying, “The election had been an illegal one. It is the CM’s ambition to win in Domkal and Raiganj. If she is so popular, why does her party need to resort to violence? Let there be a transparent, free and fair poll and I challenge her if she can win in that election, I will put in my papers as a member of parliament.”
CPIM MLA Sujan Chakraborty said that it was not a vote in the first place, so there was no question of a re-poll. “Neither the government nor the state election commission has the guts to cancel the entire poll and conduct it anew,” he said.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that it was like giving alms to beggars. “After looting votes in all booths they are conducting repoll at only six booths. We are seeking legal advice for to deal with the situation,” Ghosh said.
BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu, along with other senior leaders, met the State Election Commissioner. “We have stuck to our demand of a repoll at all the 385 booths, but Singh said he had done his best with whatever limited resources he had. He has sought another day to reconsider our demand but we are not very hopeful,” he said.
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