The Trinamool Congress on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission was colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party to commit electoral fraud by tampering with Electronic Voting Machines used in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Security camera videos had “exposed” how the BJP, “in active collusion” with the poll panel, was opening ballot boxes without the presence of representatives of political parties, the TMC alleged on social media.
“This is gross electoral fraud being committed openly with the full knowledge and protection of the Election Commission,” it claimed.
Polling was held in the state in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The votes will be counted on Monday.
A video posted online by the TMC on Thursday purportedly showed persons, whose identity was unclear, sifting through papers.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party stated that the BJP had “failed miserably” despite having “tried every dirty trick, name deletion, voter intimidation, Central Force terror, cash flooding”.
“Now, in sheer desperation, they have stooped to tampering with EVMs,” the TMC alleged. “But Bengal is not Maharashtra, Delhi or Bihar. We will not sit silently and watch them loot our democracy.”
The BJP had won the Assembly elections in Maharashtra in 2024, and in Delhi and Bihar in 2025. The Opposition has claimed irregularities in the electoral process in the three states.
On Thursday, TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh began a sit-in protest outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, which is being used as a strongroom to store Electronic Voting Machines used in the polls.
Mamata Banerjee at EVM strongroom
Later in the night, Banerjee went to another strongroom where voting machines from her Bhabanipur constituency are being stored.
The chief minister told reporters that she had been at the spot for four hours “to keep a vigil”.
“At the Netaji Indoor Stadium, we have seen EVMs being opened,” The Indian Express quoted her as having added. “So, I visited here because I wanted to check. Initially, they stopped us. But later, the RO [returning officer] allowed me to enter. I will ensure that votes are not captured forcibly in a democratic set-up. This is our area. I could have brought thousands here. I did not.”
The party alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission had “attempted a midnight heist” at the strongroom and “to tamper with EVMs”.
“Any attempt at tampering will face the wrath of the people,” TMC said on social media. “Heed this warning. Bengal will not be looted.”
Election Commission denies claims
Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal denied the allegations, saying that nothing had been done that was not in the poll panel’s statutory procedure.
“The allegation that came is baseless,” The Indian Express quoted Agarwal as saying. “Even after that, we are seeking a report. If anyone breaches the legal procedure, stern action will be taken.”
North Kolkata District Election Officer Smita Pandey said that all Electronic Voting Machines “are perfectly sealed and closed in the strong room” and the security camera videos of that were available.
Commenting on the video posted by the TMC, Pandey said that in one of the centres, one of the rooms was for postal ballots. “What happened today is the segregation of postal ballots,” The Indian Express quoted Pandey as saying.
“Our AEROs [assistant electoral registration officers] were doing that segregation process in the corridor of Khudiram Anushilam Kendra,” the official added. “We had already informed all political parties that we were going to do this process from 4 pm. So, this allegation is not correct."
The authorities said that following the allegation of electoral fraud, officials had gone to the centre along with the candidates who were protesting and showing them that the task was being carried out in line with the Election Commission’s standard operating procedure and that the strongroom had not been breached.
On Friday, the police banned all gatherings in seven areas where votes are to be counted, a day after the allegations of voter fraud, Hindustan Times reported.
The prohibitory orders will be enforced in Sahid Kshudiram Bose Road, Judge’s Court Road, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour Road, Lord Sinha Hall, Naresh Mitra Sarani (Beltala Road) and Pramathesh Barua Sarani.
The police also said that security arrangements have been enhanced around the strongrooms where EVMs are being stored.
“Additional CAPFs and armed police forces have also been deployed under the supervision of an additional commissioner and a deputy commissioner of police,” Kolkata Traffic Joint Commissioner of Police Rupesh Kumar was quoted as saying.
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!