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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that post-poll scrutiny of Form 17A (Register of Voters) and other poll-day documents in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal for Phase-I of the General Elections and bye-elections, 2026, has been completed smoothly, with no repoll recommended in either state.
In a press note, the poll body said it had issued consolidated instructions for the post-poll scrutiny process of Form 17A and related records to enhance transparency, detect any malpractices at polling stations, and recommend repolls wherever necessary. According to the Commission, scrutiny of documents was conducted on April 24, 2026, across all 152 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in West Bengal that went to polls in Phase-I. The process was carried out by Returning Officers (ROs) in the presence of General Observers (GOs), with participation from over 600 candidates or their representatives. In West Bengal, all 1,478 candidates were informed in advance about the date, time and venue of scrutiny. Following the exercise, no repoll was recommended from any of the 44,376 polling stations that went to the polls on April 23. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, scrutiny was completed across all 234 Assembly Constituencies on April 24 by Returning Officers in the presence of General Observers and 1,825 candidates or their representatives. The Commission said that in Tamil Nadu, all 4,023 candidates were informed well in advance about the scrutiny schedule. After the exercise, no repoll was recommended from any of the 75,064 polling stations that went to the polls on April 23, 2026. The ECI further said the entire scrutiny process in both states was videographed, and after completion, Form 17A and related materials were re-sealed under the Returning Officer's seal. It added that EVM-VVPAT machines have been securely stored in strong rooms, which were sealed after polling concluded on April 23, 2026, in the presence of General Observers and candidates or their representatives. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the strong rooms, including a double-lock system, two-tier round-the-clock security deployment, and CCTV surveillance of entrances and corridors, a press note read. The Returning Officers have been directed to visit strong rooms twice daily, while District Election Officers (DEOs) will inspect strong rooms at headquarters daily, and those outside headquarters once every three to four days. The Commission also noted representatives of candidates are permitted to set up camps within the premises of strong room buildings to maintain continuous monitoring. Polling for the West Bengal (Phase 1) and Tamil Nadu Assembly elections concluded on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 92.88 per cent in Phase I polling, while Tamil Nadu recorded 85.1 per cent voter turnout as per the EC data. (ANI)
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