Kolkata: the story explained

NEW DELHI: Days after a high-stakes election marked by record turnout, the Election Commission on Friday ordered repolling in 15 polling stations acro. Kolkata has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in India.

Key facts

• NEW DELHI: Days after a high-stakes election marked by record turnout, the Election Commission on Friday ordered repolling in 15 polling stations acro.
• EC orders repoll in 15 booths across Bengal's Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour on May 2.
• Both TMC and BJP leaders are visiting strongrooms where EVMs with polled votes are kept.
• On Thursday, TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a sit-in protest outside the strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata.
• This has also brought attention to the four-day gap between the last phase of polling on April 29 and counting day on Monday.

What we know

Going deeper, EC orders repoll in 15 booths across Bengal's Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour on May 2.

On the substance, both TMC and BJP leaders are visiting strongrooms where EVMs with polled votes are kept.

Beyond the headlines, On Thursday, TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a sit-in protest outside the strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata.

More precisely, this has also brought attention to the four-day gap between the last phase of polling on April 29 and counting day on Monday.

It is worth noting that Delhi 2025: Voting on February 5, counting on February 8 (2-day gap).

By the numbers

At this stage, General Elections 2024: Last phase on June 1, counting on June 4 (2-day gap).

On a related note, Jammu & Kashmir 2024: Last phase on October 1, counting on October 8, (6-day gap).

Going deeper, West Bengal 2021: Last phase on April 29, counting on May 2 (2-day gap).

On the substance, Tripura 2023: Polling on February 16, counting on March 2 (13-day gap).

The wider context

On a related note, Meghalaya & Nagaland 2023: Poll on February 27, counting on March 2 (2-day gap).

Going deeper, Uttar Pradesh 2023: Last phase on March 7, counting on March 10 (2-day gap).

On the substance, West Bengal 2016: Last phase on May 5, counting on May 19 (13-day gap).

Beyond the headlines, Even in 2016, when multiple states like Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry voted on different dates, counting was synchronised, leading to longer gaps for some.

More precisely, Supreme Court lawyer Prateek Kumar points out that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, does not define any particular gap between polling and counting.

The bottom line

• Both TMC and BJP leaders are visiting strongrooms where EVMs with polled votes are kept.
• This has also brought attention to the four-day gap between the last phase of polling on April 29 and counting day on Monday.
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