Mamata Banerjee Rushes to Bhabanipur Strong Room, Alleges EVM Tampering
Mamata Banerjee spent 4 hours at the Bhabanipur EVM strong room on 30 April, while the EC denied claims of tampering
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On the night of 30 April, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent nearly four hours at the Sakhawat Memorial School in Kolkata, which houses the strong room for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.
According to The Hindu, Mamata Banerjee arrived at the Bhabanipur counting centre late in the evening and remained inside until after midnight, warning against any attempt to tamper with the counting process.
She stated that only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area and emphasised the need for transparency in the process.
As reported by The Indian Express, TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja, along with party workers, staged a sit-in at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, alleging EVM tampering and irregularities in the handling of ballot papers.
As highlighted by Hindustan Times, Mamata Banerjee explained her presence at the strong room by saying, “It is essential to maintain transparency. People's votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter.”
She further stated, “If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated.”
Coverage revealed that a confrontation occurred between TMC and BJP workers outside the counting centre, leading to police intervention. Both parties raised slogans, and TMC leaders demanded additional security measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras and live display of footage outside the strong room.
The Election Commission assured all parties that necessary protocols were being followed, after which the protests were withdrawn.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, stated that the EVMs and strong rooms were “absolutely safe and secure,” with a three-layer security system in place.
Additional details indicated that the Election Commission had recently introduced a QR code-based photo identity card system to further enhance security at counting centres, as analysis showed.
Banerjee’s visit to the strong room was prompted by TMC’s claims that CCTV footage showed outsiders inside the premises “fiddling with ballot papers” as details emerged. The EC, however, maintained that all parties had been informed in advance about the procedures and that no CCTV cameras were switched off at any time.
At the height of the standoff, Banerjee told reporters, “I have come here because there is a strong room here for EVMs, we found manipulations at many places, so when I saw it on TV, I thought I should visit, I came, but the central forces restricted me, I told I have a right to go, as per election rule, candidates are allowed till outside the sealed room. I was then allowed... If there is manipulation, we will fight...”
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.