Repolling in Bengal's Falta underway amid high security, TMC candidate pulls out

Key points

• Repolling began this morning in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district under unprecedented security arrangements, days after the Election Commission ordered fresh polling across all booths citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process” during voting held on April 29. Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm across 285 polling stations, including auxiliary booths.
• Counting of votes has been scheduled for May 24. Read Full Story More than 2.36 lakh voters, including around 1.15 lakh women and nine third-gender electors, are eligible to cast their ballots in the high-stakes re-election.
• The Falta constituency, considered a Trinamool Congress bastion and part of the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat represented by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, has remained politically tense since allegations of widespread poll irregularities surfaced after the second phase of Assembly elections on April 29. WHAT NECESSITATED REPOLLING IN FALTA?