Kolkata witnessed a sharp confrontation between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, centred on claims of irregularities at strongrooms holding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Voting for the state polls took place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, 2026, recording voter turnouts above 90 per cent. Strongrooms for seven Kolkata North constituencies at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra were sealed around 5:15 a.m. on April 30 in the presence of candidates, agents and observers, according to the Election Commission.
TMC leaders Shashi Panja, contesting from Shyampukur, and Kunal Ghosh, the party’s candidate from Belaghata, staged a sit-in protest outside one of the strongrooms. They alleged that ballot boxes were being opened without TMC representatives present and described the situation as a “murder of democracy.” The party circulated CCTV footage on social media, claiming it showed activity inside the strongroom area lacking proper transparency. Ghosh said TMC workers were asked to leave the premises by 3:30 p.m. and questioned the handling of postal ballots.
In response, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting from Bhabanipur, urged party candidates and senior leaders through a video message to maintain round-the-clock vigil at all 294 counting centres. “Stand guard. If I can stand guard, so can you,” she said.
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Banerjee later arrived at the Sakhawat Memorial School in South Kolkata, the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency. She entered the strongroom premises with her election agent and stayed inside for more than three hours, despite initial resistance from security personnel. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal noted that Banerjee, as a Bhabanipur candidate, was not contesting any of the seven Kolkata North seats and therefore had no locus standi to access that area.
Tensions soon spilled onto the streets. TMC workers clashed with police and BJP supporters in some areas. In Bhabanipur, BJP workers blocked a TMC vehicle, while BJP leaders fanned out to multiple counting centres in line with Banerjee’s appeal to guard the EVMs.
After emerging from the premises, Banerjee struck a defiant tone, stating, “I will fight all my life.” She warned against any attempt to tamper with or “loot” the EVMs and declared that her party would resist with full force, even at the risk of lives. Shashi Panja raised questions over protocol, asking why no political parties were informed if the strongroom was being accessed.
The Election Commission dismissed the TMC’s allegations, clarifying that the CCTV footage depicted postal ballot segregation — including Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETBPS) ballots — in a separate facility and not any opening of sealed EVM strongrooms. All storage areas remained locked and secure, officials maintained.
BJP leaders rejected the claims outright, terming them rumours spread by the TMC to prepare the ground for an anticipated defeat. West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the TMC had “admitted defeat before their defeat” and described the protests as a final “drama” by a party on its way out of power. Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate from Maniktala, echoed similar views.
Security was significantly tightened around the sites with police and central forces deployed to maintain order. No injuries were reported from the clashes. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, 2026.
The episode underscores the charged atmosphere in West Bengal politics as the two major parties remain locked in a bitter contest ahead of the results. India Today reported the developments with inputs from PTI.