West Bengal Election 2026: The TMC leader claimed that he suspected that the party workers deployed to guard the EVM strong-room were deliberately removed by the central forces.

TMC's big allegation before the counting of votes

Politics has once again heated up in West Bengal following the assembly elections. TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh are staging a sit-in protest outside the strong room at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. They allege that BJP and ECI officials are attempting to open ballot boxes without the presence of their respective party representatives. 

TMC alleges the opening of the ballot box

Kunal Ghosh said, "You can see in the Election Commission's livestreaming and CCTV cameras that some people are working inside. None of our representatives is inside... They are not letting us in. They are asking us to talk to other candidates. Why should we take responsibility for other candidates?" Shashi Panja said, "We are concerned. There should be no manipulation. Why are we not being shown all this?"

TMC released CCTV video

The TMC leader claimed that she suspected that central forces had deliberately removed party workers deployed to guard the EVM strong room in order to tamper with the EVMs inside. She also claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should be more transparent and inform everyone about what is happening inside the strong room.

Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehension about EVM tampering.

The TMC's protest in front of the EVM strong room began just hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a video message in which she expressed fears of EVM tampering and called on party workers and leaders to guard the strong room. She also stated that she would take to the streets to guard the strong room until the vote count began on the morning of May 4th.

According to Ghosh, this time, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Beliaghata assembly seat in North Kolkata, Trinamool Congress workers were present in front of the strong-room at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra till 3:30 pm.

TMC's big allegation on the Election Commission

Ghosh continued, "Central forces removed them from there in the afternoon. Meanwhile, I suddenly received an email stating that the strong room would reopen at 4:00 p.m. We then contacted party workers by phone. We asked them if they were still there. They told us they had left. Then both of us immediately left for the place. Now they are not letting us in, while they are inviting BJP members inside."

Shashi Panja said that the issue of guarding strong rooms is extremely sensitive in this election. He questioned why every political party wasn't informed if the strong room was opened.