In booth 164 of West Bengal’s Rajarhat New Town assembly constituency, the election results have raised serious questions among local residents, opposition leaders, and political workers. When Alt News visited the area and spoke to voters, many described the outcome as absurd and impossible to reconcile with the ground reality.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-Indian Secular Front (ISF) alliance candidate Saptarshi Deb received just one vote from booth 164. Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Tapash Chatterjee got five votes, while BJP candidate Piyush Kanodia, who ultimately won the seat, secured 637 out of 656 votes polled. This amounts to nearly 97% of the votes in the booth.
Booths 164 and 165 are both located in Musalman Para, a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood. In the adjacent booth 165, which draws voters from the same locality and often the same families, the results were markedly different: Kanodia received only 32 votes, while Deb got 299 and Chatterjee 290. In booth 164, where around 88% of electors are Muslims, the BJP’s dominance stood in sharp contrast.
Locals told Alt News that the result of booth 164 was difficult to accept given the area’s political leanings and demographic profile.
The Extra Round of Counting That Changed Everything
Results for New Town were declared on May 5, a day after most other West Bengal constituencies. The counting process itself became controversial, extending to 18 rounds instead of the expected 17. The constituency had 330 polling stations (including 10 auxiliary booths). Each round was meant to tally votes from 20 EVMs, leading to an expectation of 16 full rounds of 20 EVMs plus a final round for the remaining 10.
The need for an 18th round stemmed from an incident at booth 164 on polling day. Voting was suspended for nearly two hours after polling agents noticed the EVM showing 52 more votes than had actually been cast. Agents from multiple parties submitted a joint written request for a VVPAT count of booth 164, which became the 18th round.
Until the 17th round, BJP’s Piyush Kanodia was trailing TMC’s Tapash Chatterjee. The counting of booth 164 in the final round dramatically reversed the outcome. Form 20 recorded 656 votes from the booth: 637 for Kanodia, five for Chatterjee, and one for Deb.
This single booth effectively decided the constituency result. At 11 pm on May 4, Chatterjee was leading by 316 votes with one booth remaining. After the 18th round, Kanodia won by exactly 316 votes.
Where Did Our Votes Go?: Locals Speak Out
The unusual results were first highlighted by Scroll.in. When Alt News visited Musalman Para, residents expressed disbelief. Many, including CPI(M) panchayat members and ISF workers, went on record stating they had voted for the alliance, yet the official tally showed almost no support.
“That is simply not true. Then where did our votes go?” several residents asked.
The original polling station had been split into booths 164 and 165 due to an increase in electors. Voters from the same families were sometimes assigned to different booths without any clear pattern.
Ruksana Begum voted at booth 165, while her 25-year-old son Sahinur voted at booth 164. Ahmed Ali Mondol, a two-time elected CPI(M) panchayat member, said he and eight family members voted for the CPI(M)-ISF alliance at booth 164. “But the results show only one vote from the booth. Where did our votes go?”
Ashraf Ali, whose wife voted at booth 164 while he voted at 165, echoed the confusion: “In booth 165, the CPI(M) was leading by nine votes, whereas in booth 164, the party received only one vote.” He confirmed his family’s support for CPI(M).
ISF leader Akhtar Ali Mollah said he and at least eight family members voted for the alliance from booth 164. “How could the candidate receive only one vote from this booth? There are several party workers… Where did all of our votes go?”
Polling agent Ramzan Ali, along with his wife and two daughters, all voted at booth 164 for CPI(M). He flatly rejected the possibility of such overwhelming BJP support: “Absolutely not. I don’t believe the BJP could have amassed such a large number of votes from that booth.”
Even TMC booth president Mokshed Mondol called the result “shocking” and “unbelievable,” though he noted the limits of knowing every individual vote.
Residents also reported minimal BJP campaigning in the area. Piyush Kanodia reportedly did not visit Musalman Para before or after the election.
The Entire Counting Process Was Murky
CPI(M)-ISF candidate Saptarshi Deb described a chaotic counting process at a centre handling multiple constituencies. After 17 rounds, Chatterjee was still leading. Deb said information about a possible fall of the TMC government affected morale among TMC agents, many of whom left. A commotion ensued, and candidates were asked to wait outside at one point.
Deb left around 11 pm on May 4. Later, he discovered the counting rounds had increased to 18. The next morning, a recount was reportedly underway, but he was not allowed inside despite being informed by the BDO office. He alleged that only the BJP candidate was permitted entry during this phase.
Deb raised several unanswered questions: Who demanded the recount? How many rounds were recounted? Why was there no proper notification or documentation? Why was Form 20 provided so late, almost two weeks after results, unlike in other constituencies?
On booth 164 specifically, Deb noted that the alliance had led there even in panchayat elections, making the outcome demographically and politically implausible.
When contacted, BJP MLA Piyush Kanodia dismissed concerns, stating, “People voted for us. The results speak for themselves.” He refuted allegations of manipulation or exclusive access during recounting. Workers at the local BJP office pointed to past TMC victories as context but did not provide specific explanations for the booth-level results.
Alt News has reached out to the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, seeking details on the recount and responses to the allegations. This report will be updated if responses are received, Alt News said
The residents of Musalman Para continue to ask a simple question: Where did our votes go? The stark contrast between two neighbouring booths in the same Muslim-majority locality, combined with the dramatic late reversal after an extra counting round, has left many in the area deeply skeptical of the official results.
TMP STAFF
Full credit to Alt News for investigating this story and uncovering the findings on which this article is based.
