KOLKATA: Tensions escalated between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the security of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strongrooms on Friday. A TMC delegation met with officials from the Election Commission (EC) to raise concerns about alleged CCTV malfunctions, as well as the unauthorized opening of sealed rooms without party representatives present.
BJP representatives dismissed these allegations as a sign of desperation from a party anticipated to face electoral defeat, setting a confrontational tone ahead of the May 4 counting day.
Shyampukur candidate for TMC, Shashi Panja, issued sharp allegations during a press briefing following the delegation’s meeting. She expressed that her party had legitimate reasons to be suspicious after observing footage showing individuals entering strongrooms at Khudiram Anusilan Kendra, which had been sealed in the presence of TMC agents. “In a footage from camera no. 17, we noticed people inside strongrooms that had been sealed,” Panja stated. She noted that the footage showed pink postal ballot envelopes and highlighted the absence of representatives from any political party when the seal was broken. “If you are opening the door, all parties need to be informed about this,” said Panja.
The TMC requested a comprehensive report from the EC regarding the alleged CCTV issues in strongrooms across West Bengal, including complete and unedited recordings with detailed logs of any interruptions. They also sought unrestricted access for authorized representatives to the surveillance feeds.
This meeting at the EC followed Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the Bhowanipore EVM strongroom the previous evening, which sparked protests from the BJP that led to tensions between party supporters. Mamata and TMC’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, convened an emergency online meeting with TMC counting agents from all 291 constituencies where the party had candidates.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the state and BJP candidate for Bhowanipore, shared a CCTV image from outside the Sakhawat Memorial School strongroom via social media. He claimed that his election agent and advocate had maintained surveillance on Mamata Banerjee to prevent any fraudulent activities. Adhikari characterized his presence at the strongroom as “routine work” that didn’t require any cameras to follow him.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh further criticized TMC, asserting, “TMC is now sure of its defeat. They are trying to shift focus by staying in the strongrooms. This is a clear sign that TMC is being defeated.” He accused TMC of employing goons to manipulate the electoral process.
