The counting of votes for the re-polling in the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal began at 8.00 am on Sunday (May 24, 2026), amid tight security, according to an official of the Election Commission of India. The results are expected in the afternoon
Falta repoll results LIVE: Vote counting under way
The counting covers all 285 booths of the constituency, which is located in the South 24 Parganas district.
Voting for this seat was originally held on April 29 2026, as part of the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
But shortly after, allegations of voter intimidation, EVM button tampering using perfume and tape, and illegal presence of party cadres inside polling stations surfaced.
The ECI had also noted instances of companions voting on behalf of electors and missing footage from some booths.
On May 2, 2026, the ECI ordered fresh voting across all seats in the Falta Assembly Constituency, leading to a fresh vote on May 21, 2026.
The new vote achieved an electoral turnout of 88%.
The Falta re-polling is not a by-poll or by-election, because it is not an entirely new, separate election. A by-election is held to fill a vacant seat after a general election has already concluded and a winner has been declared. Vacancies typically happen if an incumbent MP or MLA passes away, resigns, or is disqualified.
Falta’s electoral process was never completed; it required a fresh repoll to finish the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The result declaration for the Falta constituency will officially end the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election as the voting for the rest of the State was conducted in two main phases (April 23 and April 29 2026), and the results were declared on May 4, 2026, with the Bharatiya Janata Party forming the government and Suvendu Adhikari becoming the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Published - May 24, 2026 10:08 am IST
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 / India / Bengal
Source: The Hindu - India News
