Kolkata Police clamp down near EVM strongrooms after midnight Bengal poll drama
Tension gripped Kolkata ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Election counting after police imposed prohibitory orders around seven locations where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being stored, following late-night protests and political face-offs over alleged “suspicious activity” at strongrooms.
The restrictions were enforced in key areas including Sahid Kshudiram Bose Road, Judge’s Court Road, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour Road, Lord Sinha Hall, Naresh Mitra Sarani (Beltala Road), and Pramathesh Barua Sarani.
Midnight face-off outside counting centre
The biggest flashpoint came outside Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium, where workers of the Trinamool Congress and BJP clashed verbally after Trinamool leaders alleged irregular movement near EVM storage areas.
Senior Trinamool leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja led protests outside the venue, while slogan-shouting workers from both camps triggered a tense standoff.
TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest outside Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday night. Photo: Official Facebook.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also made a surprise late-night visit to the Shakhawat Memorial counting centre, escalating the political drama hours before counting.
Poll officer rejects Trinamool charges
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal firmly dismissed the allegations, saying all strongrooms had been sealed properly in the presence of candidates, election agents and observers after polling concluded.
Kolkata Police imposed prohibitory orders around seven locations where EVM machines are kept. Photo: Avishek Mitra.
He said the last strongroom was shut at 5.15 am and fully secured.
According to Agarwal, confusion arose because postal ballots were being sorted outside the strongrooms in corridors under torchlight, since electrical connections are not permitted inside EVM storage areas.
Torchlight work sparked suspicion
Officials clarified that segregation of postal ballots for seven Kolkata constituencies began around 4 pm and all political representatives, including Trinamool and BJP members, were informed through email and shown the process.
The use of torchlight during the exercise, however, triggered suspicion among Trinamool leaders, who described it as suspicious activity.
Protest ends, security tightens
After the Election Commission’s clarification, Trinamool leaders withdrew their protest and left the venue.
With counting day approaching, Kolkata Police have now tightened security around all sensitive centres to prevent further unrest.
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