Kolkata | BJP candidate Debangshu Panda secured a commanding lead of more than 9,000 votes over his nearest rival after the first round of counting in the repoll to West Bengal's Falta assembly constituency on Sunday, according to the Election Commission.
After the first of the 21 counting rounds, Panda bagged 9,534 votes, opening up a lead of 9,086 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi.
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 the third place with 210 votes.
Counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security arrangements, an EC official said.
The repoll in all 285 booths of the constituency in South 24 Parganas district was conducted on May 21, after polling held on April 29 was countermanded following allegations of EVM tampering and other irregularities.
The repoll saw more than 87 per cent of the 2.36 lakh electors turning up to vote. The Commission had significantly stepped up security arrangements, deploying around 35 companies of central forces across the constituency to ensure smooth voting.
The total electorate in the constituency comprises 1,21,300 men, 1,15,135 women and nine third-gender individuals.
Tension had gripped the constituency after complaints surfaced during the April 29 polling over alleged use of perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes on EVMs at multiple booths.
Subsequent scrutiny also revealed alleged attempts to tamper with footage captured by web cameras installed at several polling stations, raising questions over the role of booth-level officers, presiding officers, polling personnel and election observers.
Following its findings, the EC ordered repolling in all booths of the constituency.Tension had gripped the constituency after complaints surfaced during the April 29 polling over alleged use of perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes on EVMs at multiple booths.
Subsequent scrutiny also revealed alleged attempts to tamper with footage captured by web cameras installed at several polling stations, raising questions over the role of booth-level officers, presiding officers, polling personnel and election observers.
Following its findings, the EC ordered repolling in all booths of the constituency.