Repolling in 11 booths in Bengal local body polls, counting Oct 10

The West Bengal State Election Commission announced repolling in 11 booths - 9 in Bidhannagar and two in Asansol civic bodies - will be held on Friday with the results of the October 3 municipal elections being declared Saturday.

"Re-polling in the nine booths spread across four wards of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and two booths in Asansol Municipal Corporation will be held on Oct 9.

"The results for both the municipal corporations would be announced on Oct 10," said interim state election commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

The polls to the twin municipal corporations along with parts of the Howrah municipal corporation were held on October 3 but were marred by allegations of violence and malpractice.

Following sustained demonstrations by the opposition parties including the CPI-M led Left Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the poll panel initially put on hold the counting.

However, following a demonstration by the ruling Trinamool Congress, state election commissioner S.R. Upadhyay, who resigned on Tuesday, had announced counting will take place October 9.

Following Upadhyay's resignation, Bandyopadhyay assumed charged as the interim state election commissioner on Wednesday.