EVM meltdown: Mamata’s ‘tampering’ brouhaha is a sign of torment or tactic
The Statesman | 2 May 2026
Repolling in 15 booths across South 24 Parganas on Saturday has pushed West Bengal’s already bitter Assembly election battle into its final and most explosive stretch. Fresh voting is underway in 11 booths of Magrahat Paschim and four booths of Diamond Harbour after the Election Commission ordered repolling over complaints linked to EVM-related irregularities during the second phase on April 29. Till 1 pm, repoll turnout stood at 55.57 per cent, with Magrahat Paschim recording 56.33 per cent and Diamond Harbour 54.6 per cent.
But the larger political question now goes far beyond these 15 booths. Has Mamata Banerjee sensed a BJP surge and begun preparing the ground to delegitimise an adverse verdict by blaming EVMs, strong rooms, central forces and the Election Commission? Or is this a tactical pressure campaign to keep Trinamool workers alert, prevent demoralisation after exit poll projections, and ensure the EC and central forces remain under constant public scrutiny till counting day?
The latest controversy began after the Trinamool Congress alleged that ballot boxes and postal ballot material were being handled without the presence of relevant party stakeholders. Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a dharna outside Netaji Indoor Stadium, accusing the EC of procedural lapses and demanding more transparency, including CCTV coverage.
Mamata Banerjee herself later visited the Bhabanipur strong room and alleged that her party had received reports of EVM manipulation from several places. She said if anyone tried to “steal the EVM machine” or “steal the counting”, the TMC would fight “life and death together”.
That line was not just a warning. It was also a message to her cadre: do not relax before counting.
The BJP has seized on Mamata’s strong room politics as evidence of anxiety. State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya claimed the TMC has “admitted defeat before their defeat”, while Dilip Ghosh said the ruling party was now fighting “strong rooms and EVMs” because it had no other excuse left.
Sukanta Majumdar went further, saying the TMC had already moved into “Opposition mode”. Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the repolling but argued that it should have been held in more booths in Diamond Harbour and across Falta.
The BJP’s central attack is simple: if TMC believes it is winning, why create this level of noise around EVMs, postal ballots, strong rooms and counting staff?
The Trinamool version is very different. Its leaders insist they are not preparing excuses but preventing theft of the mandate. Kunal Ghosh called the strong room row an “EC mistake”, while Shashi Panja accused the BJP of provoking trouble on polling day to force repolls and “defame Bengal”.
Mamata has also rejected exit polls, calling them “paid and pressured”, and claimed the TMC could cross 226 seats. Her message to counting agents was equally direct: stay at the tables till the end, leave only after arranging a trusted replacement, and guard every stage of counting.
The Election Commission’s decision to order repolling in 15 booths has given both parties a talking point. BJP says it proves its allegation that EVM buttons were tampered with, including claims that tape was placed over the BJP symbol in some booths.
TMC says the BJP engineered disruptions to create precisely this situation.
The EC has maintained that repolling was ordered after reports from returning officers and observers. Officials have also denied claims that the main strong rooms were opened improperly, saying polled EVMs were sealed and secured, while routine postal ballot segregation was taking place.
With counting due on May 4, the fight is now psychological as much as political. Exit polls have given the BJP an edge, but TMC leaders have dismissed them as propaganda, recalling earlier elections where projections failed to capture the party’s final tally.
This is why Mamata’s EVM offensive matters. If TMC wins, it will be framed as resistance against the Centre, central forces and a hostile EC. If it loses, the party has already laid the groundwork to question the fairness of the process.
That makes the “tampering” brouhaha both a sign of torment and a tactic. It reflects genuine nervousness in a high-stakes election where the BJP believes it is closer than ever to power. But it is also a calculated move to keep workers charged, voters emotionally invested and institutions under pressure till the last round is counted.