Rijiju: Opposition attacking Indian democracy's core, people will respond
Synopsis
The Election Commission's decision to cancel an entire constituency's poll — a rare step — has sharpened the political battle in West Bengal. Rijiju's broadside frames the Opposition's institutional criticism as anti-democratic, but the Falta irregularities, including allegedly taped EVMs and switched-off cameras, are precisely the kind of ground-level failures that fuel such criticism in the first place.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju on 3 May accused all Opposition parties of attacking government agencies, the ECI, the media, and the judiciary.
The ECI cancelled the entire poll in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency , West Bengal, ordering a fresh election across all 285 polling stations on 21 May .
Alleged irregularities included surveillance cameras switched off, network failures, and EVMs covered with tape — with 58% of voting already done before tape was removed.
Counting for 293 constituencies in West Bengal proceeds on 4 May ; Falta's count will be held on 24 May .
Commission-appointed Special Observer Subrata Gupta had recommended re-polling in ~ 30 booths ; the ECI went further, cancelling the entire constituency's poll.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday, 3 May launched a sharp attack on Opposition parties, accusing them of targeting government agencies, the Election Commission of India (ECI), the media, and the judiciary — and warning that the people of India would deliver a "befitting reply." His remarks came against the backdrop of the ECI's decision to cancel polling in the Falta Assembly constituency in West Bengal and order a fresh election after detecting severe electoral offences.
What Rijiju Said
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Rijiju wrote: "All opposition parties have attacked the Govt. Agencies, EVMs, Election Commission, Media & now targeting the Judiciary. They don't realise that they are attacking the core of Indian democracy. Wait, People of India will give them a befitting reply, teach a lifetime lesson!"
The minister's statement was pointed in its framing — positioning the Opposition's criticism of constitutional institutions not as political dissent but as an assault on democratic foundations. This is a recurring argument from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has consistently countered Opposition allegations about electoral integrity with accusations of institution-bashing.
The Falta Constituency Crisis
The immediate trigger for Rijiju's remarks was the ECI's extraordinary decision to annul the entire polling conducted on 29 April in the 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. In an official statement, the Commission said: "On consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during polling in a large number of polling stations on April 29 in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, West Bengal, the Commission directs that a fresh poll shall be conducted in all 285 polling stations, including auxiliary polling stations. Fresh polling will be held between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on May 21."
As a consequence, counting of votes across 293 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal will proceed on 4 May, with Falta excluded. Counting for Falta will now take place on 24 May, following the fresh poll.
Irregularities Detected on the Ground
According to sources, the irregularities in Falta were among the most serious flagged in the second phase of polling. Surveillance cameras were allegedly switched off in several booths, and the information reportedly failed to reach the control room due to network disruptions. There were also allegations that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were covered with tape in multiple booths — a charge that had already triggered petitions to the Commission seeking re-polling.
Although presiding officers reportedly removed the tape around 1 pm, nearly 58 per cent of voting had already taken place by then, raising serious questions about the integrity of the process. The Commission-appointed Special Observer Subrata Gupta, acting on the direction of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, visited Falta, Magrahat, Diamond Harbour, and other affected areas on Thursday to assess the situation. Gupta subsequently submitted a report recommending re-polling in approximately 30 booths in Falta — but the Commission went further, ordering a fresh poll across all 285 polling stations.
Pre-Poll Tensions and the Standoff
Falta had been under scrutiny even before the second phase of polling began. A standoff had emerged between the Commission-appointed Special Police Observer Ajay Pal Sharma, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Falta, Jahangir Khan. The constituency had already drawn the highest volume of re-polling complaints from South 24 Parganas district, according to sources.
Separately, on Friday, the Commission had ordered re-polling in 15 booths across two Assembly constituencies — Diamond Harbour and Magrahat (Paschim) — also in South 24 Parganas. That re-polling was conducted on Saturday.
What Comes Next
With fresh polling in Falta scheduled for 21 May and counting on 24 May, the constituency's result will be among the last to be declared in West Bengal. The ECI's decision to cancel an entire constituency's poll — rather than ordering booth-level re-polling — is rare and underscores the scale of the alleged violations. How political parties respond to the Commission's findings, and whether the Opposition escalates its institutional criticism, will shape the final days of West Bengal's election cycle.
Point of View
But the Falta episode hands them a factual basis: cameras switched off, EVMs taped, control rooms uninformed. The BJP cannot simultaneously argue that the ECI is credible and that criticism of electoral processes is anti-democratic — especially when the Commission itself is the one flagging the violations. The real accountability question is whether the officials responsible for the Falta breakdown face consequences.
NationPress
3 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kiren Rijiju attack the Opposition on 3 May 2025?
Rijiju accused all Opposition parties of targeting government agencies, EVMs, the Election Commission, the media, and the judiciary, calling it an attack on the core of Indian democracy. He warned that the people of India would give them a 'befitting reply.'
Why has the Election Commission ordered a fresh poll in Falta constituency?
The ECI cancelled the 29 April polling in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, West Bengal, after detecting severe electoral offences, including allegedly switched-off surveillance cameras, network failures, and EVMs covered with tape. A fresh poll across all 285 polling stations is scheduled for 21 May.
When will votes be counted in Falta after the fresh poll?
Counting for Falta will take place on 24 May, separate from the 4 May counting scheduled for the remaining 293 West Bengal Assembly constituencies.
What irregularities were found in Falta during the April 29 polling?
According to sources, surveillance cameras were switched off in several booths, network issues prevented information from reaching the control room, and EVMs were allegedly covered with tape. By the time presiding officers removed the tape around 1 pm, approximately 58% of voting had already occurred.
Who is the TMC candidate from Falta at the centre of the pre-poll standoff?
Jahangir Khan, the All India Trinamool Congress candidate from Falta, was involved in a standoff with ECI-appointed Special Police Observer Ajay Pal Sharma, an IPS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, ahead of the second phase of polling.
