Hindus were blocked from voting in a booth in West Bengal's Raiganj constituency

Kolkata: After Times Now exposed electoral malpractices at three polling booths in West Bengal's Raiganj parliamentary constituency, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state on Saturday announced re-polling in these booths on April 29 - during the fourth phase of polling for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to the EC notification, polling station number 19 at Dhologachh SSK, 37 at Patagora Balika Vidyalaya in Islampur assembly segment and 191 at Loha Gachhi Aadi Basipada in Goalpokhar assembly segment will go for re-polling.

After the polling in Raiganj constituency, where voting was held on April 18, the BJP has written to the EC demanding re-polling in 18 booths, while the left had demanded re-polling in as many as 30 booths. There are 1,623 polling stations in Raiganj.

Times Now had reported how Hindus were blocked from voting by the ruling Trinamool Congress goons in booth no 191 in Goalpokhar assembly. Proxy voting was caught on camera where two individuals of the village who hadn't voted were told by the polling officer that their vote has been casted.

Initially, the EC had shrugged off the videos and stories however after detailed scrutiny of the reports and complained filed by the BJP and the CPIM, the EC announced re-polling in these 3 booths.

Apart from electoral malpractice in West Bengal reports of poll violence have also continued to emerge since the first phase of voting. On Thursday, after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Birbhum district, a poultry farm of a BJP worker was set ablaze allegedly by TMC workers.

During the second phase of voting, 3 people were injured after crude bombs were hurled at polling booths in Domkal municipality in Murshidabad.