South 24 Parganas [West Bengal], May 21 (ANI): Voters stand in queues and show their voter IDs at the polling station to cast their votes for the re-election to the Falta assembly seat , in South 24 Parganas on Thursday. | Photo Credit: ANI

The re-polling in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency on Thursday witnessed a high voter turnout with central forces heavily deployed and long queues were visible outside booths through the day.

The voting in the Falta re-election went on peacefully. Many voters, who could not vote in earlier elections, thronged the polling booths to cast their votes.

Over 86.11 per cent polling was recorded till 5 pm in a re-election held under the shadow of Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan’s dramatic withdrawal from the contest two days earlier, a move widely seen as handing over the ruling BJP a virtual walkover in the politically sensitive constituency.

The Trinamool Congress faced a major setback ahead of the re-poll after Khan on Tuesday decided to quit the race, leaving the high-profile contest in South 24 Parganas district wide open.

Khan, considered a controversial close aide of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, said he was “withdrawing” his candidature as West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had promised a “special package” for the constituency.

The fresh election for the Falta constituency was held on Thursday after the Assembly poll for this seat was cancelled on April 29 over allegations of widespread malpractices.

The Election Commission ordered the repoll for this seat even as results for the remaining 293 Assembly constituencies had already been declared on May 4. The BJP recorded a historic victory and came to power in West Bengal for the first time.

Election officials said 86.11 per cent of the 2.36 lakh electorate had cast their votes till 5 pm, marginally lower than the 86.71 per cent recorded till the same hour in the original polling on April 29.

Reacting to the high turnout, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari thanked the people of Falta and said visuals from the constituency resembled a festival. “From the visuals, it appears people are taking part in a festival. Such a turnout in a re-poll is really unprecedented,” he said.

Notably, Khan’s exit significantly altered the political arithmetic around Falta. The BJP, already projecting confidence of an emphatic victory, saw the constituency as a near-certain addition to its assembly tally after the Trinamool nominee stepped out of the contest before re-elections.

If the saffron party wins Falta, its tally for the 2026 Assembly polls in the State would rise to 208, although operationally its Assembly strength would remain 207 following Adhikari’s decision to vacate Nandigram after retaining Bhabanipur in South Kolkata.

Published on May 21, 2026