West Bengal Poll Tension Peaks as Mamata Inspects EVM Strongroom Amid Political Storm

According to reports, the trouble started when TMC officials alleged “something fishy” at the EVM storage strongroom in Khudiram Anush Ilan Kendra and Bhabani counting centres. Footage from the CCTV and monitoring screens reportedly revealed the movement of ballot-related materials, causing alarm among the party workers. Mamata Banerjee rushed to the Bhabani strongroom in a few hours, braving the rain, and stayed inside the strongroom to verify the reports.

What Happened in the Late Night

The latest news from Kolkata suggest the political drama played out in several steps, adding to the tension at the EVM centres:

Key Events in Chronological Order:

• TMC polling agents claimed they were not given adequate notice of the reopening of some of the sealed areas.
• Opposition candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja held a sit-in protest outside the strongroom.
• TMC released CCTV footage on social media that showed ballot materials were being handled in non-inclusive meetings.
• Mamata Banerjee called for a night curfew at the counting centres.
• BJP leaders arrived at the site and called out TMC for creating a fuss.
• Election and security officers had to control the situation.

The clash quickly escalated into shouting of slogans, allegations of “electoral fraud” and accusations of “political drama” – one of the most dramatic pre-polling events in recent West Bengal elections.

TMC Claims Fraud, BJP Says Drama

The Trinamool Congress claimed that the process was not an administrative one but an effort to tamper with Electronic Voting Machines and voting papers of postal ballots. Mamata Banerjee accused the public of a larger conspiracy to manipulate election results and urged party volunteers to be alert throughout the night.

The official message from TMC called it a “murder of democracy” and blamed BJP and some members of the Election Commission for not upholding transparency in the matter of electoral materials. The party alleged that if counting centers are reopened, all candidates and their representatives must be intimated.

But the Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the charges, saying TMC was trying to sow confusion as it felt it would lose the election. The BJP leaders at the ground said the strongrooms were closed and locked and that the TMC activists were trying to create a law and order problem.

EC Clarifies Amid Growing EVM Tampering Claims

In response to the EVM tampering row that has spread across the country, Election Commission officials said that the Electronic Voting Machines were secure and that there was no breach. The officials said that the footage captured was related to segregation and handling of postal ballots in a separate corridor, rather than the EVM rooms.

The Commission also claimed that the observers and returning officers had provided procedural notifications to candidates and their agents. Despite this, suspicion was high as TMC volunteers continued to keep vigil at various counting stations through the night.

The Significance of EVM Strongroom Controversy in the Lead up to Counting Day

The Bengal election controversy is now more than a mere procedural issue. As the polls draw closer to counting day, the Mamata Banerjee EVM protest has thrown the TMC vs BJP clash into a sharper focus and renewed the debate about EVM security, transparency of postal ballot counts and the election monitoring process.

Political analysts believe that the midnight stand-off at the strongroom could impact voter perceptions, political mobilisation and the campaign narrative in the lead up to the result day. While the allegations may be substantiated or rejected, the images of Mamata Banerjee standing guard over an EVM center has already become a pivotal moment in the West Bengal election campaign.

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