The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal announced re-polling for booths where electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering or malfunctions were reported [1].
This move comes as the Election Commission of India seeks to maintain the integrity of the 2026 state elections following reports of equipment failure. Ensuring the legitimacy of the vote is critical in regions where technical glitches can lead to widespread distrust in the democratic process.
The order follows events during Phase 2 of the election this week. Reports of malfunctions and tampering emerged from several locations, including the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency and the Baranagar ward [2, 3]. In Baranagar, voting was halted after failures were reported and the BJP flagged the presence of fake machines [3].
Officials are currently reviewing about 10 complaints [1]. These reports include allegations of physical tampering, such as the placement of tape on machines, or the covering of candidate names and symbols [1, 2].
In Diamond Harbour, the Election Commission indicated that re-polling would be ordered if the investigation confirmed that the glitches compromised the voting process [2]. The decision to hold new elections at specific booths aims to resolve disputes over whether the reported malfunctions altered the intent of the voters.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that the re-voting process will target only those booths where the complaints were verified. This targeted approach is designed to correct errors without disrupting the broader election schedule for the rest of the state.
“Re-polling has been announced for booths where complaints of electronic voting-machine tampering or malfunction have been reported.”
The decision to order re-polling reflects the volatility of Phase 2 in West Bengal and the high sensitivity surrounding EVM reliability. By addressing specific complaints of tampering—such as obscured candidate symbols—the Election Commission is attempting to preempt legal challenges and accusations of fraud that often follow technical failures in high-stakes Indian elections.
