Leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress today began a sit-in protest outside an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strongroom in Kolkata, alleging ballot boxes were being opened without the presence of authorised party representatives.
The protest took place outside a strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata, where EVMs for several Assembly constituencies in north Kolkata are kept.
At the centre of the protest was Bengal minister Shashi Panja and Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, both of whom are candidates in the Assembly elections. Voting for their constituencies took place on Wednesday.
The Trinamool, in an official statement issued as the protest began, said Panja and Ghosh had already begun a dharna outside Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Senior BJP leader Tapas Roy dismissed the allegations outright. “These are all pure rumours that the TMC is spreading now to create an environment of fear because they’re themselves scared. I have also come here to check the strongroom. The TMC is spreading lies,” he said.
The Election Commission said that all seven Assembly Constituency (AC) strongrooms located within the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra have been safely secured and sealed.
“The last strongroom was closed in the morning around 5:15 AM. All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed. There is another strongroom in the same premises for the postal ballots, wherein we have kept AC-wise polled ballots as done by different polling personnel and ETBPS,” the EC said in a statement.
Polling concluded in two phases, and counting is scheduled for May 4. The Election Commission has confirmed that counting for the 294-seat Assembly election will begin on that day under heavy security arrangements.
“These are strong rooms which house the EVMs of the votes which were cast yesterday in the second phase,” Panja said, speaking to NDTV from the protest site. She said the facility also held EVMs linked to north Kolkata constituencies, including her political segment.
“What our people saw was an unusual human activity inside a strongroom which was sealed,” Panja said.
According to Panja, the strong room had been sealed, stamped and secured in the early hours after polling.
“Now if that has been done, how has the strongroom opened?” she asked. “Who are these people inside the strongroom? What are those pink papers that we can see? What are those ballot papers?”
Panja claimed that when Trinamool representatives reached the venue and began questioning officials, they were informed that the material being handled inside was related to postal ballots.
But that explanation, she argued, did not address the concern.
“Postal ballots or otherwise, we should have been informed,” she said.
“You can watch in the livestreaming and CCTV camera of Election Commission that a few people are working inside. None of our representatives is inside…They are not letting us in. They are asking us to speak with other candidates. Why should we take responsibility of other candidates?” said Kunal Ghosh.
That protest began only hours after Mamata Banerjee released a video message warning party workers about the possibility of EVM tampering. In that message, Banerjee urged Trinamool workers and local leaders to guard strongrooms until counting begins.
As things appeared to calm down in the strongroom, the party issued a statement, urging party workers to maintain peace.
“Mamata Banerjee has assured every leader, party worker, booth agent of the Trinamool Congress, and the Maa-Mati-Manush of Bengal that the Trinamool Congress is returning for a historic 4th term. Didi has urged every citizen to maintain peace and harmony during this crucial time,” a Trinamool statement read, along with a video statement from the Chief Minister.
West Bengal’s Assembly election has been one of the most closely watched state contests in India this year, with the BJP making an aggressive push to challenge Trinamool’s hold over the state and Banerjee seeking another term in office.
The Election Commission, anticipating possible post-result tension, has already activated an extensive security plan.
According to Election Commission preparations, 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will remain deployed across the state after the results are declared.