Election tensions escalated in Kolkata on Thursday night as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed over allegations of EVM tampering ahead of the May 4 counting for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
As the high drama unfolded, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the Sakhawat Memorial Girls High School, a strong room for EVMs from her constituency Bhabanipur, and remained there until midnight. Workers of both the TMC and BJP gathered outside the school, with heavy police deployment in place.
In a video, Mamata Banerjee said, “We have got reports that manipulation is happening where EVMs have been stored. I decided to see it myself. When I arrived here, the central forces didn’t allow me to enter. However, as per the rules, the candidate and election agent of any party is allowed up to the sealed room, not inside the sealed room. I then took permission from the RO and was allowed to enter.”
VIDEO | Kolkata: West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday night landed up at the Sakhawat Memorial School in South Kolkata, the counting centre for the Bhabanipur assembly segment, which houses the strong room for EVMs of the polls which were held… pic.twitter.com/Rux9oXEDDN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 1, 2026
She added, “I shall fight till my last breath if anyone tries to loot EVM votes. I am telling election agents of all parties that you must safeguard your votes but not quarrel—this is not the place for that. The state police are not working under us; they are under the Election Commission from the day elections were announced. Some superpower is working and pressuring them.”
TMC alleges ‘murder of democracy’
TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja, along with party workers, alleged EVM tampering and sat on a dharna at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra near Netaji Indoor Stadium. The incident took place hours after Mamata Banerjee had urged party members to guard EVM strong rooms.
The TMC described the situation as a “murder of democracy” on X while sharing a video allegedly showing EVMs being tampered with inside the strong room.
The post said, “CCTV footage has exposed how @BJP4India, in active collusion with the @ECISVEEP, is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders. This is gross electoral fraud being committed openly with the full knowledge and protection of the Election Commission.”
❗️ALARMING❗️
This is the murder of democracy in broad daylight.
CCTV footage has exposed how @BJP4India, in active collusion with the @ECISVEEP, is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders. This is gross electoral fraud being committed openly… pic.twitter.com/aSe36kGKPI
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 30, 2026
“They have tried every dirty trick—name deletion, voter intimidation, Central Force terror, cash flooding—and failed miserably. Now, in sheer desperation, they have stooped to tampering with EVMs. But Bengal is not Maharashtra, Delhi, or Bihar. We will not sit silently and watch them loot our democracy.”
Questions for EC, BJP
In a series of posts on X, the TMC questioned the Election Commission, BJP, and the unfolding situation in West Bengal.
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In one post, the party targeted West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal, demanding accountability: “Our media-savvy @CEOWestBengal, Mr. Manoj Kumar Agarwal, should prioritise his constitutional mandate over late-night press conferences. While he is busy managing optics, @BJP4India has been caught on CCTV attempting to forcefully breach sealed ballot boxes at the Netaji Indoor Stadium strongroom, without a single party stakeholder present.”
Our media-savvy @CEOWestBengal, Mr. Manoj Kumar Agarwal, should prioritise his constitutional mandate over late-night press conferences. While he is busy managing optics, @BJP4India has been caught on CCTV attempting to forcefully breach sealed ballot boxes at the Netaji Indoor… pic.twitter.com/saeBC7n9n5
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 30, 2026
The party described the situation as an attempt to loot democracy, facilitated by what it called the Election Commission’s “criminal negligence.”
“Make no mistake, this is Bengal. We are not Bihar, Maharashtra, or Delhi. We will not play along with your subversion. Every action will have an equal and opposite reaction. Guard the vote, or face the consequences.”
BJP, EC compromised
The TMC further slammed the BJP and the Election Commission, alleging they were compromising the election process.
The AITC handle claimed operatives had been brought in from other states to gather outside Netaji Indoor Stadium and create a media spectacle. “We do not need to mobilize. At one command from Smt. @MamataOfficial, 10,000 people would descend upon that area in minutes,” AITC posted on X.
BJP and their compromised Election Commission have no idea who they are dealing with.
They have imported operatives from other states to swarm the area outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium, staging a media spectacle to mask their fear. We do not need to mobilize. At one command… pic.twitter.com/PHQk7K5fiQ
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 30, 2026
“We choose peace because we respect the law, not because we fear you. But do not mistake our civility for weakness. Try to touch a single EVM, try to heist the people’s mandate, and you will face the full, unbridled consequences of your actions. Didi has shown the way today by guarding the front lines herself.”
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The party further also said that the BJP’s alleged strategy had repeatedly failed. Attempts to delete legitimate voters through SIR, purge neutral officials, and now carry out a midnight heist at the Netaji Indoor Stadium strongroom to tamper with EVMs.
The party also accused authorities of orchestrating “fear elections” instead of fair polls.
BJP’s response
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari responded on X: “I wish to assure the esteemed community of voters from the entire state of West Bengal, including the Bhabanipur constituency, that the Trinamool Congress candidate from this centre, namely the outgoing Chief Minister, has been strictly instructed to refrain from availing any undue advantages.”
ভবানীপুর নির্বাচনী এলাকা সহ সমগ্র পশ্চিমবঙ্গবাসী ভোটার ভদ্রমণ্ডলী কে আশ্বস্ত করতে চাই যে এই কেন্দ্রের তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস প্রার্থী তথা বিদায়ী মুখ্যমন্ত্রী, মাননীয়া কে কোনোরকম বাড়তি সুবিধা নেওয়া থেকে বিরত থাকতে বাধ্য করা হয়েছে।
উনি যতোই চেষ্টা চালান না কেন, কোনো রকম নিয়ম বহির্ভূত… pic.twitter.com/9hxyr3A97x— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) April 30, 2026
