With no re-poll proposal, Bengal, EC say Tamil Nadu breaks ‘past pattern’

NEW DELHI: EC sources told TOI on Friday that no re-poll has been recommended at 44,376 polling stations in West Bengal and 75,064 polling stations in Tamil Nadu. This breaks a pattern of multiple re-votes recommended in past elections, particularly in Bengal, due to political violence and alleged electoral fraud. Bengal and Tamil Nadu recorded record-high poll percentages on Thursday. About 8.3 million voters were removed from Bengal’s polling list due to SIR, and the turnout in the first phase was close to 92.9%.Three-point verification was conducted at all polling stations in Bengal on Thursday to strictly check electoral malpractice, popularly known as “chaapa”, “source of interference” and “disruption of polling stations” in past elections in the state.The first verification point is the area around the polling station. Section 163 of the BNSS (corresponding to the erstwhile Section 144 of the IPC) was implemented on Thursday within 200 meters of polling stations. The ID of everyone entering the area will be checked and only bona fide voters, election officials, etc. will be allowed entry.The second round of verification takes place at the entrance to the polling station. Booth-level officials and volunteers from the NSS and NCC were deployed to check everyone and then queue them up to cast their votes. This includes verification of the identity of “pardanasheen” women (women who wear veils in accordance with religious custom) by female staff. The latter, following instructions from the Election Commission, checks each person’s identity card, voter card or voter slip before allowing them to enter the voter queue.The third verification is a normal identity check by polling officials inside the polling station before the voter inks their finger and casts their vote.