The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21 due to electoral offences.
The Election Commission (EC) has suspended a Block Development Officer (BDO) in West Bengal's Nadia district and initiated departmental proceedings against him following violence at a poll training venue where a teacher was allegedly assaulted for objecting to a government advertisement.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has expressed serious concerns regarding the deployment of police personnel to provide security to individuals allegedly connected to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal ahead of the elections, directing the Director General of Police (DGP) to conduct a review and ensure impartiality.
Kerala Police have registered a case against social media platform X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the Prime Minister and the Election Commission of India in a misleading and defamatory manner.
Political parties in West Bengal react to the Election Commission's reshuffle of senior administrative and police officials ahead of upcoming elections, with TMC criticising the move and BJP and CPI(M) welcoming it.
The Election Commission has requested a detailed report from Kolkata Police regarding the alleged attack on Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja's residence before a rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initial police report was deemed incomplete, prompting the EC to seek further clarity on the incident, police response, and utilisation of central forces.
'The current Election Commission functions more like a government department than an autonomous body.'
Senior TMC leaders and newly-elected MLAs met at Mamata Banerjee's residence to discuss strategy and allocation of responsibilities following the party's performance in the West Bengal assembly elections.
Following the conclusion of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, election commission officials have transferred the sealed EVMs, VVPATs, and other election materials to secure strong rooms at designated counting centres throughout the state.
'To attribute motives to the individual election commissioner or the Election Commission as a group is very unfair.'
The Election Commission reports that poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs, and liquor intended to sway voters, have surpassed Rs 1000 crore in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
The TMC and BJP are clashing over Bengal's food culture, with allegations of potential dietary restrictions adding spice to the West Bengal election campaign.
The TMC has intensified its attack on the BJP, alleging a 'larger conspiracy' involving central agencies ahead of the second phase of West Bengal polls on April 29, while also questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
'They refuse to be transparent. They refuse to be accountable.'
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections saw a high voter turnout across 152 constituencies, with nearly 90 per cent of electors participating till 5 pm. Polling was conducted amid tight security, with reports of clashes and intimidation in some areas.
A former Trinamool Congress councillor was allegedly assaulted in West Bengal's Howrah district following an altercation, amidst post-election violence.
Supreme Court Justice B V Nagarathna has emphasised the critical importance of an independent Election Commission to ensure the neutrality and integrity of the electoral process in India.
'One of the principles of the MCC that you should not make hate speeches and create hatred between communities on the basis of religion was violated on a scale that was never seen before.' 'Religious symbols were very liberally used and speeches were made to polarise people on the basis of religion.'
The CPI-M and Congress in Kerala have raised concerns over the delay in the release of detailed polling data from the recent assembly elections.
Senior police officials in West Bengal are visiting police stations to ensure free and fair polling for the upcoming Assembly elections, focusing on maintaining law and order and preventing electoral malpractice.
A crude bomb exploded on the rooftop of a school in Nadia district, West Bengal, ahead of upcoming elections, prompting investigations and political accusations.
The Election Commission has deployed 432 counting observers across all 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal to ensure transparent and smooth counting of votes. Several districts have been assigned additional observers in view of their sensitivity and electoral significance. Enforcement agencies have carried out extensive seizure drives during the election period to curb illegal inducements, with total seizures valued at approximately Rs 561 crore.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP of orchestrating recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar as part of their strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, alleging the party seeks to create an atmosphere of fear to influence voters.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant at counting centres, alleging a 'game plan' by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the BJP taking an early lead.
The Election Commission is considering holding the West Bengal assembly elections in two phases to mitigate potential poll-related violence, according to a senior official.
The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21, following reports of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the second phase of the assembly elections.
Demands for repolling are generally made by political parties, candidates, polling agents, or even observers, citing specific irregularities such as EVM malfunction, booth capturing, intimidation, or violation of the secrecy of voting.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted protection from arrest to psephologist Sanjay Kumar in connection with two FIRs lodged by the Election Commission of India accusing him of spreading misinformation over Maharashtra's electoral rolls through posts on social media.
Polling for West Bengal's remaining 142 assembly seats will be held in the second phase on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw a massive voter participation during the ongoing assembly elections, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent and 82.24 per cent respectively by 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.
Mamata Banerjee, the outgoing Chief Minister of West Bengal, has refused to step down after her party's defeat in the assembly elections, alleging a conspiracy and irregularities in the counting process. She also accused the Election Commission of working in favour of the BJP and announced a fact-finding committee to investigate post-poll violence.
TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has criticised the BJP's victory in the West Bengal state elections, calling it 'immoral' and alleging that the mandate in over 100 seats was 'looted'. She also criticised the Election Commission's role.
The commission, however, has not specified how many among these new entrants are first-time voters who have just turned 18, nor has it given a detailed gender break up of these voters.
The BJP is currently leading in eight out of the 13 seats in Assam's Barak Valley, while the Congress is ahead in the remaining five constituencies, according to the latest Election Commission data.
The Calcutta High Court dismissed a plea challenging the Election Commission's directive to deploy central government and PSU employees for vote counting in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
In a dramatic election mirroring the Nandigram contest, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, marking a significant victory for the BJP and a setback for the Trinamool Congress.
TMC leaders have raised concerns about the vote counting process in the West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging irregularities and lack of cooperation from the Election Commission.
Total number of 722 candidates are in the fray for 126 seats.
The Election Commission is likely to reduce the number of counting centres for the West Bengal Assembly polls to 77 from 87 earlier, even as questions were raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress over the move just days ahead of counting, an official said on Thursday.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has criticised the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, alleging it's a politically motivated attempt to intimidate the opposition and undermine the fairness of the upcoming West Bengal elections.
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