KOLKATA: On the backdrop of incidents of post-poll in West Bengal due to Saturday's violence that marred the panchayat polls, the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) has announced that repolling will be held in 696 booths on Monday, July 10.

Several parts of West Bengal were rocked by violence ever since June 9, the starting filing of nomination and incidents of stone pelting and arson were reported from several districts. The opposition parties led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) have accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) which is ruling in the state of using muscle power to stop candidates of the opposition parties from filing nominations.

On Sunday, the BJP supporters staged a protest outside the SEC office in Kolkata against the widespread violence during the rural elections polls in which nearly 15 people have been killed. Congress and CPIM also staged protests.

Due to incidents of violence, tampering of votes already cast by voters and reports of booth capturing in these 696 booths in the elections the SEC has declared the end result as void and thus a repolling had to be done. Out of these 696 booths, 174 booths are in Murshidabad followed by Malda with 109 booths where re-polling will be conducted.

The SEC has said that 4 to 5 central police force personnel will be posted in each of the booths where repolling with be done to avoid any irregularities and to ensure that no clashes or untoward incidents will take place during the polling. 

A total of 61,636 booths had been set up for 2.06 lakh candidates who were in the fray for elections to 73,887 seats in the three-tier panchayat system in the state of West Bengal. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led TMC, the BJP and an alliance comprising the Congress and the Left parties were the major contenders however the polls were marred by several reports of arson and looting. In Dinhata of Cooch Behar district reports said that ballot boxes were vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire at a booth in Baravita Govt Primary School. Alleging false voting at another booth in the Barnachina area, locals torched a ballot box along with ballot papers.