The Calcutta High Court on Monday, 18 May granted interim protection from coercive police action — including arrest — to Jahangir Khan, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from the Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, until repoll results are declared on May 24. A single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya passed the order after hearing Khan's anticipatory bail plea on an urgent basis.

What the Court Ordered

Justice Bhattacharya observed that Khan must be given a fair opportunity to contest the election, and clarified that the interim protection would cover all FIRs currently registered against him. The matter was taken up during the second half of Monday and heard on priority, reflecting the time-sensitive nature of the upcoming repoll.

The next hearing is scheduled before a vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court on May 26 — two days after results are expected.

Five FIRs and the Allegations

At present, five FIRs have been registered against Khan — one on May 5, three on May 10, and one on May 15. The charges relate to alleged voter intimidation and other electoral irregularities during the original polling in Falta on 29 April, when the constituency voted in the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Khan's counsel argued before the court that the FIRs were based on false and baseless allegations, and that there was a credible risk of his arrest before the repoll — a prospect the court found sufficient to warrant interim relief.

Why Falta Is Going to Repoll

The repoll was ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) following a series of complaints of alleged electoral malpractices on 29 April. At several polling booths, EVM buttons corresponding to the names and symbols of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates were allegedly covered with white tape — a serious violation that drew immediate attention.

Special poll observer Subrata Gupta, who currently serves as adviser to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, personally visited Falta and conducted a field inquiry into the allegations. Based on Gupta's findings, the ECI ordered repolling across the entire constituency. Repolling is scheduled for 21 May, with results on 24 May.

Broader Context

This comes amid heightened scrutiny of electoral conduct in West Bengal, where allegations of booth-level malpractice have surfaced across multiple phases. The Falta case is notable because the ECI's intervention — ordering a full constituency repoll rather than a booth-level redo — signals the gravity of the irregularities found. Notably, anticipatory bail pleas by candidates facing election-related FIRs have become increasingly common in West Bengal, reflecting a pattern of legal maneuvering around poll schedules.

With repolling two days away and results on May 24, the court's protection effectively ensures Khan can campaign and participate without the threat of arrest hanging over the process — at least until the verdict is in.