Tampering claim, chaos, Mamata Banerjee guards strongroom: TMC vs BJP in Kolkata
Kolkata witnessed high drama as TMC alleged strongroom irregularities, prompting Mamata Banerjee to spend over three hours inside a Bhabanipur facility, vowing to fight all my life over EVM concerns.
High drama broke out in Kolkata on Thursday evening after the Trinamool Congress staged a sit-in, alleging irregularities inside a strongroom housing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of allowing activity without opposition oversight.
Amid the escalating row, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the strongroom premises at Sakhawat Memorial School in South Kolkata – the distribution and reception centre for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency -- and remained inside for more than three hours.
Banerjee, who is also a candidate from Bhabanipur, had entered the premises amid allegations by her party of irregularities in EVM and ballot handling. She later said she was initially not allowed entry by security personnel but went inside after receiving permission.
After coming out, Banerjee struck a defiant note, saying, “I will fight all my life.” She warned against any attempt to tamper with or “loot” EVM machines, adding, “We will fight with everything we have, even if it means risking our lives.”
Earlier, senior TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a sit-in protest outside a strongroom at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. The party alleged ballot boxes were being opened without the presence of its representatives, calling it a “murder of democracy.”
The row intensified after the TMC shared CCTV footage on social media, claiming it showed activity inside the strongroom area without proper transparency. Hours before visiting the site, Banerjee had urged party workers to maintain round-the-clock vigilance at counting centres, warning of possible tampering ahead of result day on May 4.
Tensions spilled onto the streets, with TMC workers clashing with police and BJP supporters. In Bhabanipur, BJP workers blocked the movement of a TMC vehicle, while party leaders fanned out to multiple counting centres following Banerjee’s call to “guard” EVMs.
WHAT HAS ALL HAPPENED SO FAR?
Amid heavy security, Mamata Banerjee visited Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, the counting centre for Bhabanipur, after allegations of malpractice surfaced. Braving heavy rain, she entered the premises with her election agent and remained there for over three hours. "The CM, who is a candidate for Bhabanipur, is not a candidate from any of the seven seats of Kolkata North. She cannot go there," Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said.
Kunal Ghosh alleged TMC workers stationed outside a strongroom in Kolkata were asked to leave in the afternoon and later informed via email that the strongroom would reopen at 4 pm. “Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would open again at 4 pm,” the TMC Belaghata candidate said.
He alleged TMC representatives were denied access while others were allowed inside. “We then rushed here. Now we are not allowed to enter. BJP is being invited. Ballot papers are being moved inside. Yet the CEO is saying nothing is happening. If postal ballots are being processed, where did they come from?”
Echoing similar allegations, Shashi Panja, who is contesting from Shyampukur constituency, raised concerns over the protocol, saying, “The strongroom is extremely sensitive. If it is opened, all political parties must be informed. Why was no one informed?” Later, both Ghosh and Panja ended their protest.
The Election Commission clarified that seven constituency-wise EVM strongrooms on the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra premises had been sealed in the presence of candidates, agents and observers after polling concluded. West Bengal voted in two phases on April 23 and 29, with turnouts of over 90 per cent.
Poll body officials said the final strongroom was sealed around 5.15 am on Thursday and stressed that all EVM storage areas remained locked and untouched. Addressing TMC's claims, they also said the activity shown in CCTV footage involved postal ballot segregation in a separate facility, including Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETBPS) ballots, and not access to sealed EVM rooms.
The BJP rubbished the TMC's allegations and said it was rumours and that the party was going to lose the Assembly polls. Security was tightened around the site, with police and central forces deployed to prevent unrest. “They are just spreading rumours as they are preparing ground for their defeat,” Tapas Roy, the BJP's Maniktala candidate, said.
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the "TMC has admitted defeat before their defeat". "Mamata Banerjee knows TMC's situation. The government is going out of power but with this, the party will also finish off within a few months. So, this is the flickering of flame before being extinguished. How long will the people of West Bengal see this drama? This will have no impact," he added.
In a video message earlier today, Mamata Banerjee called on TMC candidates and senior leaders to personally oversee counting arrangements across all 294 constituencies. She urged party workers to keep a constant watch over the process, saying, “Stand guard. If I can stand guard, so can you,” while advocating a 24-hour monitoring system at counting centres.
The TMC's tampering charge came even as most exit polls have predicted a surprise BJP victory over the TMC, although some of them have projected a tight contest and an edge for the TMC. It will be interesting to see whether the BJP will be able to unseat the TMC and form its first government in West Bengal or Mamata Banerjee secures a record fourth consecutive term.
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