Strong rooms across West Bengal have been placed under a multi-layered security blanket ahead of the counting of votes for the Assembly elections on Sunday, with heightened political rhetoric of EVM tampering by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) adding to the tension on the ground.
Over 1,500 security personnel have been deployed to guard the 22 strong rooms in Kolkata a day ahead of poll results on Monday.
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said, "The counting of votes will be conducted in a free and fair manner. We are fully prepared; there will be no unrest anywhere. Tomorrow's counting will take place peacefully."
The rooms operate like a three layer security grid, with the Election Commission stating the triple layer protection will be provided to the 77 counting centres and EVM strong rooms in the city. Facilities like Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, are being guarded round the clock by state police and central forces. Barricades, CCTV surveillance, and restricted entry protocols have been put in place, with representatives of political parties camping outside to keep watch.
TMC candidate from Ballygunge, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, described the atmosphere outside strong rooms as intimidating. “When we go there, it feels like we have arrived at a war front. There are only the police and the CRPF there. This is being done to intimidate us, but they should understand that Bengal does not fear anyone,” he said, according to a report by ANI.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged irregularities in the handling of postal ballots and electronic voting machines (EVMs). Party workers claimed that postal ballot trunks were brought into the strong room premises at odd hours and taken to areas without adequate CCTV coverage, raising concerns about transparency. TMC leaders have also repeatedly flagged fears of “vote tampering” and demanded stricter monitoring of EVMs and VVPATs, urging the Election Commission to ensure that all procedures are followed in the presence of authorised agents.
The counting centre at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur assembly constituency witnessed a ruckus a day ahead of the counting of votes, with TMC workers alleging two cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept.
The incident came close on the heels of a four-hour-long sit-in by Banerjee in front of the same counting centre at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls School on Thursday night, alleging unauthorised entry of persons into the strongroom.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya called for vigilance as well as restraint. Alleging attempts to “loot votes”, he urged opposition unity against any malpractice but also appealed for peace. “There should be no violence of any kind. Winning does not mean retaliation for past incidents. There should be a change in our mindset,” he said.
Meanwhile West Bengal Congress President and candidate from Srirampur, Shubhankar Sarkar said the people of Bengal have “shown patience and responsibility to protect democracy,” accusing the EC of undermining the electoral process over the last six months.