Kumar Bahukhandi
Security personnel conduct a route march ahead of the declaration of results of the West Bengal Assembly elections, in Nadia, West Bengal, Friday, May 1, 2026-| Photo Credit: PTI
Security tightened across EVM strong rooms after Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Bhabanipur’s counting centre, suspecting malpractice and tampering of the voting machines
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Friday May 1, 2026 asserted there is no scope for wrongdoing at the counting centres. Stating that round-the-clock CCTV monitoring of strong rooms was in place, he termed the allegations of electoral malpractice and tampering of the vote machines baseless.
Tension prevailed at central Kolkata’s Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, the counting centre for several north and east Kolkata Assembly constituencies housing EVM strong rooms, after TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest outside the premises alleging electoral malpractice and tampering of the vote machines.
The TMC leaders alleged that Live-streamed footage from CCTV cameras revealed the presence of outsiders inside the strong rooms who were “fiddling with ballot papers” from the machines.
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The Election Commission, however, dismissed the claim regarding the handling of polled materials at the centre, stating that poll officials were engaged in the task of segregating postal ballots as per due process and the strongrooms remained secure.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee landed up at the counting centre for the Bhabanipur Assembly segment, suspecting malpractice and tampering of the voting machines.
(With PTI inputs) 
