During the West Bengal Assembly election process, the Election Commission stated that claims of irregularities inside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra strongroom in Kolkata hold “no merit.”
“We have got the allegations checked and found no merit,” an EC source said, dismissing concerns raised by TMC leaders who had staged a protest outside the facility where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are stored.
The controversy erupted after TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja began a sit-in dharna outside the strongroom, alleging suspicious activity inside.
The protest followed an appeal by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging party workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil over strongrooms.
Ghosh alleged that TMC representatives were not allowed inside the facility. “You can see on CCTV that some people are working inside, but none of our representatives are present. They are not letting us in,” he claimed.
Shashi Panja also questioned the lack of transparency, stating, “We are concerned. There should be no manipulation. Why are we not being shown everything?”
In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, the TMC accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of collusion.
“This is the murder of democracy in broad daylight… ballot boxes are being opened without the presence of stakeholders,” the party alleged, sharing purported CCTV footage.
The party further claimed that after failing at “name deletion, voter intimidation, and cash distribution,” attempts were now being made to tamper with EVMs.
Responding to the allegations, election officials in West Bengal issued a detailed clarification, stating that all procedures were followed strictly.
According to the Circle Officer, all seven Assembly Constituency (AC) strongrooms at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra were sealed in the presence of candidates, election agents, and observers.
“The last strongroom was sealed around 5:15 AM after completion of polling. All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and locked,” the अधिकारी said.
Officials also clarified that a separate strongroom exists within the same premises for postal ballots, where constituency-wise segregation was being carried out transparently.
Importantly, the officer noted that this process was communicated in advance to all candidates and political parties, and the arrangements were shown to representatives including Panja, Ghosh, and even BJP members.
The developments come amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, where polling was conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
With both sides trading allegations and counterclaims, the situation underscores the deep mistrust between political rivals in the state, even as the Election Commission maintains that all safeguards are firmly in place.
