The EVM’s strong chambers have become the main focus in Bengal with both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alleging irregularities. While the TMC claimed there had been a “disruption of CCTV”, a BJP leader claimed that an EVM strong room had been opened “early”.
As politics heated up in Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp counter-attack, accusing the ruling party of electoral malpractice. The allegations come even as the Election Commission (EC) has ordered re-polling at 15 booths across the state.
The latest flashpoint stems from a letter sent by TMC leader Shashi Banga to the state chief electoral officer, raising concerns about “intermittent CCTV disturbances” in strong rooms where EVMs and VVPATs are stored.
In her letter dated May 1, Banga cited outages in monitoring reported across multiple locations, including Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Gayaghata, Chandernagore Government College and Jangipur Polytechnic College, news agency ANI reported.
Banga demanded full reporting for example of CCTV malfunctions or downtime, full surveillance footage and logs for the affected periods, immediate restoration of real-time monitoring, and continued access to authorized representatives.
Warning against escalation, she said: “If complete transparency is not ensured immediately, we will be forced to continue with appropriate agitation on the basis of democratic principles,” the message reported by ANI said.
What all TMC claims
TMC leaders also raised questions about how ballots were handled. Party leader Tanmay Ghosh claimed that election officials processed and separated ballot papers during the night without informing the ruling party.
“The election officials had already accepted that there were some issues and they separated the ballot papers without informing the AITC. Why was this done at night when no one was watching,” he said.
Escalating the charge, he added: “There has been a distorting trend by the Election Commission, which is condemnable and the people of Bengal will fight it until May 4.”
The party also alleged that the BJP, in “active connivance” with the Election Commission, is “opening the polls without the presence of any party stakeholders”.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Executive Manoj Kumar Agarwal asserted that there is no reason to worry. He reiterated that EVM strong chambers are “safe and secure” and stressed that there is “no controversy” on the issue.
What are the claims of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
BJP leader and Bidhannagar candidate Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay has alleged irregularities in the handling of the strong room, alleging that it opened “early” and several times without prior warning.
He said party representatives were given a timetable on when the strong room would open, but when they arrived, they found it already open.
“We wondered why it opened so early when it wasn’t starting to work properly,” but they “couldn’t provide any answer.”
He added that officials later told them that the strong room had been opened “not once or twice, but at least ten times before.”
In another case, BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused the TMC of trying to discredit institutions ahead of a possible defeat. “A crushing defeat awaits TMC. The way Mamata is panicking clearly shows that she has lost,” he said.
He also alleged multiple violations on polling day: “TMC pasted tape on BJP symbol on EVM, intimidated people from going to booths, misled people…” Thakur also urged party workers to remain vigilant while counting votes.
Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the decision to rerun the elections but said it should have been broader. “The ballot should have been repeated in more booths in Diamond Harbor and in the entire Valta region… We respect the Election Commission,” he said.
The BJP also alleged “large-scale electoral irregularities” at some polling stations within the Diamond Harbor Lok Sabha constituency.
Re-polling is underway
Amid the political stagnation, voting began at 7 a.m. Saturday at 15 polling stations — 11 in Paschim Galaxy and four in Diamond Harbor — and will continue until 6 p.m.
The Election Commission said the decision to re-poll was based on reports from returning officers and observers and “physical conditions.” A special observer, Subrata Gupta, was deputed to verify the allegations on the ground.
The commission is also expected to call for re-poll in the Valta Assembly constituency.
The state assembly elections were held in two phases – April 23 and April 29 – and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
(With agency inputs)
