Mamata Banerjee remained inside the EVM strong room till around 12:07 am. Her rival Suvendu Adhikari said his agent kept her under strict surveillance.
An intense political drama erupted in West Bengal on Thursday evening, just a day after voting for the final phase concluded in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent nearly four hours inside the strong room of the counting center in Kolkata to “assess the situation” as she alleged that the e-voting system rigged the Opposition’s bids in the state. Political escalation came before West Bengal Assembly election results on May 4.
Banerjee arrived late at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur, which has an EVM strong room, entered the building as a candidate and remained inside till around 12:07 am.
“I came here because there is a strong room here for electronic voting machines. We found tampering in many places, so when I saw it on TV, I thought I should visit, I came, but the central forces restrained me, told me I have the right to go, as per election rules, candidates are allowed to go out of the locked room. Then I was allowed… If there is tampering, we will fight…” she told PTI.
She added: “It is necessary to maintain transparency. People’s voices must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces did not initially allow me to enter.”
“If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated,” Banerjee said.
BJP responds
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, said: “I would like to assure the esteemed electorate community that the Trinamool Congress candidate has been given strict instructions to refrain from availing any undue advantages. As long as she was present at the headquarters of the powerful chamber, my election agent there personally was keeping her under strict surveillance so that she could not resort to any dishonest means.”
“She is well aware that she is losing at the polls… Her game is over. People have delivered their verdict. The TMC government is gone,” BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said.
TMC sit-in outside EVM centre
The Prime Minister’s visit capped a tense day in the state. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders staged a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where the powerful EVM chambers for multiple constituencies are located. Leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Banga claimed that CCTV footage showed strangers inside the building “tampering with ballot papers”. The clip was posted on X by TMC.
Earlier in the evening, Mamata Banerjee called on party workers to guard the EVM strong rooms throughout the night. “They are planning to swap the electronic voting machines… Maybe they will change the data in the computers, give our numbers to the BJP and the BJP to us,” she said, demanding a 24-hour protest.
The TMC leaders also questioned why the fortified room was reopened without their knowledge.
“The party workers and supporters were present outside the strong room till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing them that the strong room will open again at 4 pm… Now we are not allowed to enter. The BJP is invited,” Ghosh claimed. He added: “Ballot papers are being transported inside.”
Police deployed personnel wearing riot gear as tensions rose outside the station. The situation escalated after BJP leaders reached the spot and objected to the gathering of TMC workers at what they described as a “sensitive” location.
The European Commission responds
the The Election Commission rejected these accusations. She said that all electronic voting rooms were closed in the presence of candidates and observers after voting, and remained secure.
Officials explained that the activity shown in the footage was part of the permitted segregation of postal ballots in a separate room within the same building. According to the European Commission, all parties have been informed in advance.
This comes amid a series of complaints during the poll. The BJP had earlier claimed that The symbol was covered with tape at some kiosks in Diamond Harbor. The European Commission said such complaints were being studied and a repeat of the referendum could be considered if violations are confirmed.
The committee reportedly received more than 2,000 complaints of various types during the electoral process.
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of experience in the field, she has led coverage of Indian general elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the US, Canada, Bangladesh and Nepal. Its reports cover world wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, and the Mahakumbh Mela. It verifies the facts and uses clear sources to ensure the accuracy of the reports. As a former Editor-in-Chief at Storytailors, she has managed teams to produce high-quality content for networks such as NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work has appeared on NDTV, Meaww and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and received mentoring from leading industry experts. When she’s not reading, Anita can be found outside or at a bakery. Areas of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics, reporting on social and political change over time.Read more
