A massive political row erupted in West Bengal on Thursday when Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders staged a sit-in outside the counting center in central Kolkata’s Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, the counting center for several assembly constituencies that house EVM strong rooms, alleging erratic activities inside the facility, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her party would win at least 226 of the state’s 294 seats and the BJP would win them. “Its game is over,” the BJP responded.
The dispute broke out a day after the end of the voting process for the second and final phase of the House of Representatives elections.
TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Banga staged a protest sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, claiming that live feed footage from CCTV cameras revealed the presence of outsiders inside the strong rooms who were “manipulating ballot papers” from machines.
“The party workers and supporters were present outside the barricaded room till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing us that the barricaded room will be opened again at 4 pm. We called our workers, and they said they left. Then we rushed here. Now we are not allowed to enter. The room will be opened again,” Ghosh, who is contesting from Belighata, claimed. However, the Election Commission rejected the allegation regarding the handling of ballot materials at the centre, stating that polling officials were engaged in the task of segregating postal ballots according to due process and that the fortified rooms remained secure.
“Ballots are being transported in. However, the CEO says nothing has happened. If postal ballots were being processed, where did they come from? If an email was sent, why were we not informed?” Ghosh added.
In a late-night press conference, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal denied TMC’s allegations, asserting that electronic voting machines were safe and secure in the strong rooms.
“The electronic voting machines and the strong rooms are completely secure. Three layers of security comprising state police and CAPF police force guard the strong rooms. I don’t see any basis behind this, other than a publicity stunt. Such situations are unfortunate and unjustified,” Agarwal said.
Eight strong rooms have been set up at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, EC officials said. While electronic voting machines from the seven Assembly constituencies in North Kolkata were kept in seven strong rooms, postal ballots of polling officials were kept in the eighth room. Following the prescribed protocols, the postal ballot room was opened in the presence of representatives of political parties and the TMC was also invited, officials said.
“The strong room was opened where postal ballots had to be separated before being sent to the respective districts. Everything was done as per protocols. They were separated by senior government officials appointed as assistants to the returning officials,” the CEO said.
The matter came to a head after BJP Maniktala candidate Tapas Roy, accompanied by the party’s candidate from Chowrangi Santosh Pathak, reached the spot and confronted senior police officials over why they were allowing TMC workers to gather and chant slogans at the sensitive place.
Banerjee also arrived at Sakhawat Memorial Girls School, one of the buildings used by the Election Commission of India as a strong room, at around 9pm.
These developments took place hours after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, through a video message, urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to continue the 24-hour protest at the strong rooms housing electronic voting machines. “You must guard the counting stations. If necessary, I will also go to guard my district. Candidates must guard themselves. Stay awake. If I can do it, you can too. There is a plan to change the machines while moving the electronic voting machines. Don’t take this seriously.”
A day after several exit polls predicted a victory for the BJP in the eastern state, the TMC chief alleged that the BJP pressured a section of the media to publish fake exit poll data showing its landslide victory so that stock prices would not collapse. She claimed that her party would win 226 of the 294 state assembly seats.
“I know for sure that the exit poll numbers that appeared on television were distributed from the BJP office at 1.08 pm on Wednesday. A section of the media has been pressured to publish them as our tally may reach 230 as well. We are definitely crossing the 226 mark,” she said.
However, Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya hit back at Banerjee, saying that “TMC’s departure is certain”. However, Bhattacharya did not anticipate how many seats his party might win. “She is well aware that she is losing at the polls, which is why she is making such a statement to keep her party workers accountable,” he said. “Its game is over. The people have delivered their verdict. The TMC government is gone,” he said.
