No Re-Poll Required In Tamil Nadu And West Bengal, Says Election Commission

The Election Commission of India has confirmed that fresh polling will not be needed in either Tamil Nadu or West Bengal following a detailed review of election records after the recent Assembly and by-elections.

The Commission stated that it carried out a comprehensive verification process involving voter registers and other polling-day documents to ensure transparency and identify any irregularities. This exercise is part of standard post-election checks aimed at maintaining the integrity of the voting process.

In West Bengal, officials examined records from all 152 constituencies that participated in the first phase of polling.

The review was conducted in the presence of observers and candidates or their representatives, with prior notice given to all contestants.

After analysing data from over 44,000 polling stations, authorities found no grounds to order a re-poll.

The state is scheduled to vote in its second phase on April 29.

A similar process was completed in Tamil Nadu, where elections were conducted in a single phase across all 234 constituencies.

Candidates and their representatives took part in the scrutiny. No discrepancies were identified. There is no need to repeat voting across more than 75,000 polling stations.

The Commission added that the verification exercise was recorded on video, and all examined documents were securely sealed afterwards.

Electronic voting machines and VVPAT units have been placed in strong rooms under strict security arrangements. These include continuous surveillance and controlled access.

Candidate representatives have also been allowed to monitor these storage facilities.

Voter participation remained notably high in both states. Tamil Nadu recorded turnout levels of about 85 per cent, while West Bengal saw over 92 per cent voting in the first phase, despite isolated incidents of unrest.

Also Read: Raghav Chadha Signals Major Shift As AAP MPs In Rajya Sabha Move To BJP