With just days to go before the votes are counted on May 4, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), face a host of political, legal and administrative setbacks – exacerbated by a dramatic night of protests and counterclaims over electronic voting machine security.
Opinion polls show BJP surge, TMC’s comments stink
The first setback came on Thursday, when several opinion polls pointed to a strong performance by the BJP, suggesting it may oust the TMC after 15 years in power.
Pollster Matrize predicted the BJP would get 146-161 seats and the TMC would get 125-140 seats, indicating a close race but with the BJP leading. P-Marq went further, predicting that the BJP will get 150-175 seats against 118-138 seats for the TMC. Opinion polls projected a clearer victory for the BJP with 142-171 seats, while putting the TMC at 99-127.
However, the People’s Pulse Party gave a contrasting view, predicting that the TMC would retain power with 177-187 seats, and the BJP with 95-110.
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Banerjee completely rejected these predictions, claiming that they were “fabricated” and part of a psychological campaign to demoralize her party cadres before the votes were counted.
Calcutta High Court rejects TMC’s petitions on counting process
On Friday, the TMC suffered a legal setback after the Calcutta High Court rejected two petitions related to counting arrangements.
One of the petitions challenged a direction that Central government or PSU employees should be included as supervisors or assistants. The court said it found “no basis” in the petition, noting that no evidence was presented showing bias.
In a separate petition, TMC MLA Javed Khan has questioned the change of counting centre. The court ruled that there was no legal violation in transferring the venue from Gitanjali Stadium to Viharilal College.
High drama in strong rooms
The most dramatic developments unfolded late on April 30, when Banerjee herself arrived at the EVM strong room at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur and remained inside the building for about four hours, then left shortly after midnight.
Upon her arrival as a candidate, she initially faced resistance from the Central Powers before she was allowed into the permitted area. Banerjee said she rushed to the site after seeing images and receiving complaints about alleged “manipulations”.
She said: “If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated,” stressing the need for transparency and protecting votes.
Read also: Mamata Banerjee 4 hours in strong room, EVM tampering charge – What happened in Bengal overnight?
Her visit capped a day of escalating tensions. Earlier, senior TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Banga staged a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra chamber complex, alleging that CCTV footage showed unauthorized individuals “tampering with ballot papers”. The party also posted the clip on social media, describing it as evidence of “election fraud.”
Ghosh claimed that the strong room was reopened without prior notice and questioned why party representatives were not allowed inside, alleging that “ballot papers are being transported” while BJP members are being allowed inside.
The protest drew a sharp reaction from BJP leaders, who reached the spot and accused the TMC of creating chaos at a “sensitive” location. Police wearing riot gear were deployed as tensions rose between workers from both parties.
Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, said his agents were present to ensure that he did not get “any undue advantage”. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya went further, claiming that the Prime Minister’s actions reflected an “admission of defeat”.
The Election Commission of India rejects allegations of fraud, describing the process as routine
Amid these allegations and counter-allegations, the Election Commission rejected the TMC’s claims, stressing that all electronic voting rooms were closed to candidates and observers and remained secure.
Officials explained that the activity captured in the viral footage was part of the permitted separation of postal ballots in a separate room, not tampering with electronic voting machines. They added that all political parties were informed in advance about this operation.
The polling authority also indicated that it received thousands of complaints during the electoral process and is examining them, provided that re-voting will be considered when necessary.
