Summary of this article
West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal said repolling is likely to be announced in booths where EVMs would be found tampered with.
The CEO said that a repoll will be ordered only after the authorities get reports from the district election officer on allegations of tampering with EVMs.
The Commission has not yet confirmed the authenticity of the video shared by the BJP leader, but said reports from the ground are being examined.
In the high-friction theatre of West Bengal’s final polling phase, the focus has shifted from the queues at the booths to the buttons on the machines. This Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal signalled that the sanctity of the vote is non-negotiable, warning that any booth found with tampered Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is likely to see a repoll.
The technical controversy centres on a low-tech but effective tactic: the alleged use of white tape and ink blots to obscure political symbols. The alarm was sounded after the BJP accused rivals of covering their party symbol in specific constituencies, effectively "blinding" voters at the moment of choice. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya amplified these concerns by sharing footage on social media, claiming that tape had been strategically placed over the party’s icon at booths 144 and 189 in the Falta assembly seat.
For the Election Commission, the challenge is now one of verification. Agarwal emphasized that while the commission is examining the "authenticity" of viral videos, no decision will be made in a vacuum. Repolling orders will only follow rigorous reports from district election officers and independent observers. "We will review the complaints regarding the fixing of black or white tapes... and then consider whether repolling is required," Agarwal told reporters, his tone underscoring the gravity of a day that has already seen over 2,000 complaints of various types flood the EC office.
Beyond individual booths, the CEO hinted at a much broader consequence for systemic interference. If these "sticky-tape" tactics are found to be widespread across a constituency, the Commission may discard the day’s entire exercise for that seat and call for a total redo. In a state where every vote is a hard-fought battle, the possibility of a repoll adds a layer of exhausting uncertainty for voters who have already braved the tension to have their say. For now, the fate of Falta and other contested booths hangs on a thin strip of tape and the official reports currently making their way to the CEO’s desk.
