Record Booth Capturing Complaints in West Bengal During Recent Polls

A total of 925 complaints of booth capturing were reported during recent parliamentary and assembly polls, with West Bengal leading at 875 cases. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal shared this data in Rajya Sabha, citing the Election Commission. Multiple arrests were made, and some complaints were proven false upon investigation.

A staggering 925 complaints of booth capturing emerged during the recent parliamentary and assembly polls, with West Bengal reporting the highest number at 875 cases, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, citing Election Commission data, disclosed that 14 arrests had been made in connection with these complaints. Notably, in Arunachal Pradesh's simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, two arrests were made from a single complaint, he added.

In response to these incidents, the Election Commission directed local officials to conduct fresh polls where necessary and initiate thorough investigations. Various complaints from other states, including Bihar and Odisha, were also addressed, with several being dismissed as false after verification.

(With inputs from agencies.)