Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday late evening rushed to a strongroom in Kolkata where EVMs are stored after her party colleagues alleged suspicious activity.
Bengal minister Sashi Panja and Trinamool Congress state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, both candidates in the Assembly elections, launched a sit-in demonstration in the evening in front of the strongroom, located at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, alleging that the EVMs stored there were being tampered with.
They alleged that the strongroom was opened without any representative from their party present and that unknown persons had been allowed inside.
Kunal Ghosh speaks to reporters near the Netaji Indoor stadium. Amit Datta
“SHOCKER. Inside Netaji Indoor stadium in Kolkata ATTEMPTS ARE BEING MADE TO OPEN BALLOT BOXES by @ECISVEEP and @BJP4India without the presence of party reps.
@AITCofficial’s @DrShashiPanja & @KunalGhoshAgain are sitting on dharna outside,” journalist turned TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagorika Ghose posted on X (formerly Twitter).
She attached a video purportedly showing some people opening some things inside a room.
Kunal Ghosh said that party workers and supporters had been stationed outside the strongroom until around 3:30pm, but were removed in the afternoon. An email was then sent informing them that the strongroom would reopen at 4pm.
"Our workers had already left. The two of us [Ghosh and Panja] have reached here but we are not being allowed inside," Kunal said.
The EVMs for all seven constituencies in north Kolkata – Beleghata, Chowringhee, Entally, Jorasanko, Kashipur-Belgachhia, Maniktala and Shyampukur – are stored at Netaji Indoor stadium and adjacent Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra for the counting of votes on May 4.
TMC agitation in front of the strong room. Amit Datta.
The Trinamool, which had won all the seven seats in the northern part of the city and all the four in the south in the last Assembly election, shared images of people purportedly inside the strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium, questioning their identities and reason for being where they were.
Two BJP nominees, Tapas Roy from Maniktala and Chowringhee's Santosh Pathak are also at the spot.
Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said he wasn't aware of such an incident.
"I have not received any complaints. The district electoral officer for north Kolkata will look into any complaints," he told newspersons.
Election Commission officials said that seven Assembly constituency (AC) strongrooms have been set up inside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra and were sealed in the presence of candidates, their agents and the general observer after polling ended, with the last one closed around 5.15 am on Thursday.
They said all strongrooms storing polled EVMs remain sealed and secure. A separate strongroom within the same premises has been designated for postal ballots, where AC-wise ballots, including those received through ETBPS, have been stored.
According to officials, observers and returning officers (ROs) were informed in advance, and ROs communicated the details to candidates and political parties via email.
They added that sorting of postal ballots began around 4 pm in the corridor outside the EVM strongrooms, while the main strongrooms themselves remained locked. Officials said this arrangement was shown to Trinamool Congress leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, as well as BJP representative Kali.
Mamata Banerjee spent over four hours at Sakhawat Memorial, the strongroom for Bhabanipur Assembly, the chief minister's own constituency. "Why four days gap before counting?" asked Mamata, past Thursday midnight.
"People's vote must be protected. They (central forces) were not even allowing me to enter. CCTV footage should be available to workers waiting outside."
Earlier on Thursday in a video message, Mamata instructed party workers to keep a stern watch on the strongrooms.
"The counting centres must be kept under watch. If necessary, I will do the same for my constituency. The candidates should themselves keep a watch. Stay awake during the nights.If I can, you too can. There is a plan to change the EVMs while on transit to the counting centres. Do not neglect this. Until I say so in a press conference, do not leave the counting table," she said.
Mamata's instructions to the party workers enlisted for counting duty is to stay put at the counting table; in case of emergency leave the table with trusted ones.