Election officials order repolling at select West Bengal booths for May 2–3

West Bengal’s election fight is no longer just about who won votes. It is also about whether the voting and counting process itself will be trusted. On Friday and Saturday, that turned concrete. The Election Commission ordered repolling at 15 booths in South 24 Parganas, and the Supreme Court on May 2 refused to block the use of central government and PSU staff in counting supervision. With counting due on May 4, the state has moved into the messiest part of any election — the stretch where procedure becomes politics. ### What actually happened at the booths? The repoll order covers 15 polling stations in two assembly segments — Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim. Those booths voted earlier in phase two on April 29, but complaints piled up after that round. The core allegation was EVM irregularities, including claims that the BJP button on some machines had been obscured with tape. The Election Commission voided the earlier voting at those booths and ordered fresh polling from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 2. (hindustantimes.com) ### Why only 15 booths? Because this was not a statewide rerun. It was a targeted fix. Election officials had said on May 1 that booth-level reports and complaints were still being checked and that repolling, if needed, would be limited to select location(hindustantimes.com)ded the complaints were serious enough to redo some polling, but not broad enough to reopen the whole phase. (hindustantimes.com) ### What happened in the Supreme Court? The Trinamool Congress tried to stop a separate Election Commission plan — using central government and public-sector employees as counting supervisors and assistants. The party argued that bringing in central staff cou(hindustantimes.com)lso pushed back on the idea that state staff are naturally neutral while central staff are politically suspect. So the counting arrangement stays in place. (thehindu.com) ### Why is counting staff such a big deal? Because counting is where a close election can turn explosive. These are the people inside the room with the tables, rounds, forms, and disputes. If one side believes the supervisors are biase(thehindu.com)meaning is obvious — who gets trusted to certify the result. (indianexpress.com) ### Did the repoll itself matter? Yes — not because 15 booths alone decide a 294-seat assembly, but because they sit inside a broader trust breakdown. Saturday’s repoll saw heavy participation despite rain, with turnout reported near 87% by late afternoon. (indianexpress.com)oll with strong turnout gives the Commission at least a partial argument that the corrective process worked. (financialexpress.com) ### Why is South 24 Parganas so sensitive here? Because Diamond Harbour is not just another seat on the map. It is one of the politically loaded zone(financialexpress.com)m in one of the state’s most watched battlegrounds. (hindustantimes.com) ### So what matters now? May 4. That is counting day. The repoll has happened, the court has let the counting-staff plan stand, and both parties are already framing the next step as a test of legitimacy. The bottom line is simple — Bengal is heading into results day with the mechanics of the election almost as contested as the outcome itself. (indianexpress.com)