Trinamool Congress leader and the party’s candidate from the Falta Assembly constituency, Jahangir Khan, was arrested on Monday by the West Bengal Police near India’s border with Nepal in northern Bengal, reported The Telegraph.

Khan was allegedly attempting to flee the country amid allegations of electoral malpractices during the second phase of polling, unidentified officers told the newspaper.

While voting in Falta was held on April 29, the Election Commission on May 2 ordered repolling in the constituency citing “severe electoral offences” and alleged “subversion of the democratic process”. There had been allegations of electoral malpractices in the seat.

The fresh vote was held on May 21 and votes were counted on May 24.

However, just as the 48-hour silence period came into effect in the constituency for the re-polling, Khan withdrew from the contest. He claimed that he took the decision “for Falta’s development and the public good” after a special package announced by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

He had been on the run since the re-polling was held, The Hindu reported.

The TMC had said that the withdrawal of the candidature was Khan’s “personal decision and not that of the party”.

BJP candidate Debangshu Panda won the polls by more than one lakh votes.

A probe report by the Election Commission had found that voting machines in at least 60 of the 285 polling stations in the constituency had been tampered with when the polls were held in Falta on April 29.

On May 4, the BJP defeated the TMC in the state polls, ending the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

After the change of government in the state, several residents in Falta had accused Khan of land grab and extortion, The Hindu reported.

The police are yet to disclose all the charges against the Trinamool candidate.

The arrest came weeks after the Calcutta High Court on May 26 vacated an interim protection granted to Khan, The Telegraph reported.

On May 18, the High Court directed the West Bengal Police not to take coercive action against him until the repolling concludes, provided he cooperated with the investigation into criminal cases filed against him.

Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.