Falta election results LIVE: Among key candidates in this seat are BJP’s Debangshu Panda and the Congress’s Abdul Razzak Molla. In a surprise development just ahead of the repoll, TMC’s Jahangir Khan had announced the withdrawal of his nomination.

Falta election results LIVE: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun the counting of votes in West Bengal’s Falta seat, days after a repoll took place in the constituency. Tight security is in place outside strong rooms and the results are expected to be out by evening. Among key candidates in this seat are BJP’s Debangshu Panda and the Congress’s Abdul Razzak Molla. In a surprise development just ahead of the repoll, TMC’s Jahangir Khan had announced the withdrawal of his nomination.

According to early trends, BJP’s Debangshu Panda is leading, followed by CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi. Congress is trailing by a huge margin.

The seat first went to polls on April 29 in the second phase of elections in Bengal, but two days before results, the ECI ordered a repoll in the seat, which took place on May 21.

Repolling across all 285 booths in the constituency was held on May 21 after voting in the South 24 Parganas seat during the second phase of the Assembly elections on April 29 was scrapped over allegations of EVM tampering and other irregularities.

“The counting is progressing peacefully. Adequate security arrangements have been made at the counting centre,” a poll panel official said.

Voter turnout

More than 87 per cent of the constituency’s 2.36 lakh voters turned up for the repoll. To ensure voting passed off smoothly, the Election Commission significantly stepped up security, deploying around 35 companies of central forces across the constituency, news agency PTI reported.

Falta election result LIVE: Security deployed outside strong room at Diamond Harbour Women’s University

The re-poll across all 285 polling stations in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, after irregularities were reported in the polling during the West Bengal Assembly elections. BJP secured a landslide victory in West Bengal with a huge mandate of 207 seats and formed its first-ever government, with Suvendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister.

Falta election result LIVE: BJP’s Debangshu Panda surged ahead of his nearest CPI(M) rival by over 14,000 votes after the fifth round of counting on Sunday in the repoll to West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency, according to the Election Commission, news agency PTI reported.

After five of the 21 counting rounds, Panda had secured 30,562 votes, opening up a lead of 14,514 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi, who polled 16,048 votes.

Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan, who had announced two days before the repoll that he would not contest and described it as a personal decision, trailed in fourth place with 1,685 votes.