Midnight Drama in Kolkata: Security Tightened at EVM Strongrooms After TMC Stages Sit-In Over Tampering Allegations, Election Commission Dismisses Claims
4 min read
Security forces remain on high alert outside Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strongrooms across Kolkata today, following a night of intense political drama. With just days left before the highly anticipated vote count on May 4 for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) staged massive sit-in protests, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding to tamper with ballot boxes.
The allegations triggered a chaotic midnight standoff, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushing to personally inspect a strongroom in her constituency, leading to widespread confusion that the ECI ultimately dismissed as a false alarm.
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the controversy, the ECI’s clarification, and the latest developments ahead of counting day.
How the Late-Night Drama Unfolded
The controversy erupted late Thursday evening when the TMC’s official social media handles shared CCTV footage allegedly showing “suspicious movement” inside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in central Kolkata, where EVMs for seven North Kolkata Assembly seats are stored.
- The Protest: Within minutes of the video surfacing, senior TMC leaders and candidates, including Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, rushed to the site and staged a sit-in protest outside the nearby Netaji Indoor Stadium. Ghosh alleged that party workers had been asked to leave the premises at 3:30 PM, and the strongroom was subsequently opened at 4:00 PM without informing political representatives.
- Mamata Banerjee Steps In: As tensions mounted, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to intervene personally. Around 8:00 PM, she visited the counting center for her own Bhabanipur constituency, located at Sakhawat Memorial School in South Kolkata. She remained inside the facility for nearly four hours.
- The Stand-Off: Emerging just past midnight, a defiant Banerjee addressed the media. “We found that in many places, manipulation is taking place. When I saw the CCTV on TV, I thought I should also go and see it… If someone tries to steal the EVM machine, if someone tries to steal the counting, then we will fight life and death together,” she declared.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Banerjee, mocked the Chief Minister’s actions, calling it the “clearest exit poll for West Bengal.” Adhikari stated he had deployed his election agent to keep Banerjee under strict surveillance while she was in the strongroom to ensure she did not resort to “dishonest means.”
The Election Commission’s Midnight Clarification
As the political temperature soared, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal called an emergency midnight press conference to unequivocally deny any foul play or EVM tampering.
Breaking Down the ECI’s Explanation:
- The “Suspicious Movement” Explained: Agarwal clarified that the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra houses eight strongrooms. Seven are exclusively for sealed EVMs, while the eighth is designated for postal ballots (votes cast by government polling personnel and emergency workers).
- Routine Segregation: The ECI explained that the movement seen in the CCTV footage was routine administrative work. Election officials were simply opening the postal ballot strongroom to segregate the ballots by constituency before sending them to their respective districts. The seven EVM strongrooms were never touched and remained double-locked and sealed under three-tier central security.
- Prior Intimation Given: Refuting Kunal Ghosh’s claims, the ECI presented evidence showing that official emails were sent to all political parties and candidates at 10:00 AM on Thursday, informing them that the postal ballot segregation process would commence at 4:00 PM. The ECI labeled the TMC’s allegations a clear case of “miscommunication.”
- Why Torches Were Used: Addressing concerns about flashlights seen in the video, the ECI stated that as per strict security protocols, there is no electrical wiring inside strongrooms to prevent fire hazards, which is why officials used torches while organizing the postal ballots in the corridors.
Latest Updates: Security Beefed Up and QR Codes Introduced
Despite the ECI’s detailed clarification pouring cold water on the tampering allegations, the TMC remains highly suspicious. Before leaving the Bhabanipur counting center, Mamata Banerjee instructed TMC workers to maintain a strict 24/7 vigil outside all strongrooms across the state, demanding that they set up relay teams so the premises are never left unattended, even for restroom breaks.
To prevent any further chaos on counting day, the Election Commission has announced the implementation of a new QR code-based photo identity card system.
- Three-Tier Security: At the first two security cordons of the counting centers, physical IDs issued by the Returning Officer will be manually checked.
- The Final Cordon: At the innermost tier, near the actual counting hall, entry will strictly be permitted only after a successful QR code scan to eliminate any possibility of unauthorized persons entering the premises.
Furthermore, earlier on Thursday, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a TMC petition that challenged the ECI’s decision to deploy central government and PSU employees as counting supervisors, ruling that the Election Commission is well within its rights to ensure transparency.
With exit polls predicting a tight race-and some agencies like Today’s Chanakya projecting a massive upset victory for the BJP in Bengal-tensions are expected to remain sky-high until the final vote tallies are declared on Saturday, May 4.
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