On April 29, 2026, millions of West Bengal residents stepped out to vote in the second phase of the state assembly elections. For most, it was a routine civic act. But in 15 polling booths across two constituencies— Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim— what happened that day was anything but routine. The Election Commission of India has since declared the polls held at those stations null and void, and ordered fresh voting on May 2, 2026.
The decision didn’t come out of thin air. Returning Officers and Election Observers from both Assembly Constituencies— 142-Magrahat Paschim and 143-Diamond Harbour— filed reports flagging serious irregularities in the conduct of polling. Based on those field reports, the Commission invoked sub-section (2) of Section 58 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951— a provision that allows it to declare a poll void and order a fresh one when circumstances demand it.
West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, issued a formal order specifying that re-poll voting at all 15 stations would restart from 7 am to 6 pm on May 2. The order also directed that the re-polling be publicized through the beating of drums in polling areas— a grounded, old-school method to reach voters in localities where word of mouth still travels faster than WhatsApp.
Which Booths Are Affected?
In Magrahat Paschim, 11 booths have been flagged, spanning schools like Uttar Yearpur F.P. School, Najra F.P. School, Deula F.P. School, Ghola Noyapara Girls’ High Madrasha, Ektara Malaya F.P. School, and Bahirpuya Kurkuriya F.P. School— across multiple rooms in several of these locations.
In Diamond Harbour, four booths have been cancelled: Bagda Junior High School, Chandra F.P. School, Haridevpur F.P. School, and Roynagar F.P. School.
Why Is This Happening?
While the official order refers broadly to “irregularities,” the ground-level picture is more troubling. There have been credible reports of voters being intimidated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers near polling booths, with people allegedly being coerced, followed, or pressured— making free and fair voting impossible in those areas.
This is not a new phenomenon in Bengal’s electoral history, but the scale of the complaints— spread across 15 booths in two constituencies— was significant enough for the Election Commission to step in decisively.
Ordinary People Who Refused to Stay Silent
What’s worth noting here is that despite the pressure, people protested. Residents in the affected areas didn’t simply accept the situation. Locals raised their voices, complaints reached observers, and the system— slow as it sometimes is— responded.
It takes courage to file a complaint in a political environment where retaliation is a real concern. The fact that enough people came forward, and that election observers documented the problems, is what made this corrective action possible.
TMC’s Counterclaims and the Bigger Picture
The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, has launched its own protests. TMC leaders staged a demonstration at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, alleging that ballot boxes were opened without their authorized representatives present. The Kolkata Police, in turn, banned public gatherings in seven areas where vote counting will take place on May 4.
Chief Electoral Officer Agarwal has dismissed TMC’s allegations as unfounded.
The mutual accusations reflect the high-stakes tension surrounding Bengal’s 2026 elections, which saw a combined voter turnout of 92.47% across two phases— the highest ever recorded in the state since Independence. That extraordinary turnout speaks to how deeply invested Bengal’s voters are in this election. Which makes it all the more important that every vote— particularly in these 15 booths— is cast freely and counted fairly.
The Election Commission says it is on high alert to prevent post-poll violence. Whether that alert translates into real safety for voters going back to the booths on May 2 will be the real test.