What began as a video message by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to her workers and leaders quickly snowballed into a major controversy surrounding strong rooms and allegations of attempted EVM tampering on Friday.
Banerjee herself visited a strong room in Kolkata, while her party candidates began a dharna outside another strong room in the city. Some BJP candidates, too, reached the centre and levelled counter-allegations against the TMC leadership.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) held a press conference and refuted all allegations of EVM tampering.
Chronology of events
5 pm, Friday
In a video message posted on her social media page, Banerjee rejects exit poll predictions, many of which have forecast a BJP win, saying they were being aired at the ‘instruction of the BJP’ to demoralise TMC workers. Asking party workers to maintain calm and not respond to any provocation, Banerjee tells them not to “retaliate right now” if attacked.
“I am asking our workers and the general people to guard the strong rooms and counting centres. I ask all our candidates in 294 seats to individually guard the strong rooms and counting centres. In my area, I will do so. Guard during the day and night. If I can do it, you can too. Stay awake in the night during the vigil and in the morning hand over the job to others,” Banerjee says.
7 pm
Trinamool Congress highlights a grab from CCTV footage at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata. The grab shows some people handling EVMs in the corridors of the strong room.
7.30 pm
TMC Beleghata candidate Kunal Ghosh and Shyampukur candidate Sashi Panja rush to Khudiram Anushilan Kendra and start a dharna alleging EVM tampering.
8 pm
TMC Maniktala candidate Sreya Pandey, along with supporters, reaches Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court upholds EC’s decision to deploy Central government employees at the counting centres, which was challenged by TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.
8.15 pm
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee visits Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School at Kolkata’s Lord Sinha Road, which is a strong room for the Bhabanipur assembly seat.
8.30 pm
BJP candidates Tapas Roy and Santosh Pathak reach Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. They allege that TMC was trying to breach security and tamper with EVMs. BJP workers pour in.
BJP supporters also reach Sakhawat Memorial School. A huge contingent of police is deployed in the area.
9 pm
North Kolkata DEO Smita Pandey comes to Khudiram Anushilan Kendra and enters the counting centre with Kunal Ghosh and Sashi Panja.
9.15 pm
BJP workers protest against the presence of a TMC campaign van near Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School. They allege that the TMC was trying to take away EVMs. They try to block the van, which is ultimately escorted away by security agencies.
10.30 pm
TMC leaders leave Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, while a small group of party workers, along with rival BJP workers, remain at the spot.
11 pm
West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal and North Kolkata DEO Smita Pandey hold a press conference.
Smita Pandey says, “All EVMs are perfectly sealed and closed in the strong room. Their footage can be seen from the CCTV camera installed. In Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, there are seven ACs, and one room is for postal ballots. What happened today is the segregation of postal ballots.”
Smita Pandey adds, “Our AEROs were doing that segregation process at the corridor of Khudiram Anushilam Kendra. We have already informed all political parties that we are going to do this process from 4 pm. So, this allegation is not correct. After the allegation came, we went there with the candidates who protested, showing them that everything was according to SOP by EC, and there was no breach of the strong room. Everything was recorded.”
12.07 am, Saturday
Mamata Banerjee comes out of Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School and says, “I have requested that candidates and election agents should be given proper facilities. I was here for four hours. I was here to keep a vigil. Our EVM machines are here. In Netaji Indoor, we have seen EVMs being opened. So I visited here because I wanted to check. Initially, they stopped us. But later, the RO (returning officer) allowed me to enter. I will ensure that votes are not captured forcibly in a democratic setup. This is our area. I could have brought thousands here. I did not.”
12.15 am
Mamata Banerjee leaves the area. A small group of TMC and BJP workers remains.
The counting for the Bengal Assembly elections will be held on May 4.