Section 68 in The West Bengal Panchayat Elections Act, 2003
68. Adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of booth capturing.
(1)If at any election -(a)booth capturing has taken place at a polling station or at a place fixed for the poll in such a manner that the result of the poll at that polling station cannot be ascertained; or(b)booth capturing or snatching or forcible occupation of any polled ballot box or polled ballot paper takes place in any place for counting of votes in such a manner that the result of the counting at that place cannot be ascertained, the Panchayat Returning Officer shall forthwith report the matter to the District Panchayat Election Officer, and on receipt of the said report the District Panchayat Election Officer shall immediately send a report to the Commission.(2)The Commission shall, on receipt of the report from the District Panchayat Election Officer under sub-section (1) and after taking all material circumstances into account, either -(a)declare that the poll at that polling station be void, appoint a day, and fix the hours, for taking fresh poll at that polling station or place and notify the date so appointed and hours so fixed in such manner as it may deem fit, or(b)countermand the election in that constituency, provided the Commission is satisfied that in view of the large number of polling stations involved in booth capturing, the result of the election is likely to be affected, or that booth capturing had affected counting of votes in such manner as to affect the result of the election.Explanation. - In this section, "booth capturing" has the same meaning as in section 135A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
