Supreme Court takes on record the Election Commission of India’s statement in court that counting officers are drawn equally from both Central government and State Government services in the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, as per the April 13 circular issued by the Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal. A Special Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi asks ECI to follow the April 13 circular in letter and spirit. The vote counting is scheduled on May 4.
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Earlier, voting began on Saturday (May 2, 2026). at 15 booths in two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, where the Election Commission ordered repolls a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices, an official said. The repolls were ordered in 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour. Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m., the official said. Polling in these two Assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the State elections on April 29.
Meanwhile, Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta said security deployment would remain at the same scale but with enhanced vigilance. Speaking on the arrangements for the repoll, Mr. Gupta said on Friday (May 1), “The deployment will be at the same scale, but with more attention.”
