Overview
- The Election Commission annulled the April 29 polling in Falta after a special observer found missing or manipulated CCTV footage and concluded about 60 of 285 booths were vitiated.
- For the May 21 repoll the EC increased security to eight Central Armed Police Force personnel at each booth, deployed about 35 CAPF companies and kept 30 quick response teams on standby.
- Surveillance was tightened with two cameras inside and one outside every booth, live webcasting to DEO/CEO control rooms and consideration of drone monitoring to prevent repeat tampering.
- Trinamool candidate Jahangir Khan publicly withdrew before the repoll but remains on EVMs because the formal withdrawal deadline had passed, and police arrested several local figures including Saidul Khan ahead of voting.
- Voting began at 7:00 a.m. on May 21 across 285 booths for more than 2.36 lakh electors, with counting scheduled for May 24 and a potential small effect on the state assembly arithmetic depending on the outcome.