“What’s your view? It will be Mamata Banerjee… May 4 is our D-day. Let’s see what happens.”
It is around 11 pm Saturday outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium, and Kamar Ilahi and a group of fellow TMC workers have just finished their shift “guarding” a strong room at a counting centre in the heart of Kolkata. After the two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal ended April 29 with a record 92.47% turnout, all eyes are on these rooms where the EVMs are stored ahead of counting and results on Monday.
Following a video message on Friday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was stationed till midnight inside Shekhawat Memorial Girls High School, alleging attempted EVM tampering. Her party’s leaders and workers have been standing guard outside strong rooms across the state, day and night. The Election Commission (EC), meanwhile, has virtually turned these rooms into fortresses, with barricades, three-layered security and Central forces on duty.
The Indian Express spent a night visiting six strong rooms across North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Kolkata. It found TMC workers and leaders thronging the venues, edgy and wary, while their main rivals from the BJP and other Opposition parties were conspicuous by their absence.
“We are not guarding counting centres. That is not necessary. You will find us in sufficient numbers during counting on Monday,” said Rahul Sinha, BJP Rajya Sabha MP. At APC Ray Polytechnic College in Kolkata’s Jadavpur, TMC worker Mohammed Wasim said: “You will not see any BJP worker here because they don’t need to guard anything. They have the Central forces.”
* Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, Panihati (North 24 Parganas)
Over 50 TMC leaders and workers were seen sitting on plastic chairs just opposite the main gate. “It is us versus the EC and Central forces this time. We don’t trust them. That’s why we are here,” said Tandra Ghosh, a leader of the Trinamool Mahila Congress.
EVMs from Khardah, Panihati, Baranagar, Dumdum-Uttar, Dumdum and Kamarhati are kept inside the building, where Central forces stand guard, checking identity cards at the gate. Workers were putting up a makeshift bamboo-and-tarpaulin shade nearby. TMC candidate from Panihati, Tirthankar Ghosh, was also present, while Sayantika Banerjee, TMC candidate from Baranagar, emerged from the building for a brief chat with workers. “While we stand guard outside, our candidates and their agents are allowed inside,” said Prabir Rajbonshi, another TMC leader.
A worker’s phone rings and he answers: “What do you mean, ‘Is Mamata Banerjee staying in power’? Of course she is.” A tea shop owner stationed nearby said she had never been so busy. “Since the polls ended, these people are here throughout the night. Usually, I sell about 150 cups a day. Yesterday, I sold 500 cups,” said Mousumi Majumder, who was with her daughter Riyanka.
* Jogesh Chandra Girls School, Howrah
Unlike Panihati, there is no crowd of TMC workers at the gate here. Central forces and officers of the Howrah Police Commissionerate man the entrance. Counting for three constituencies — Bally, Howrah-Uttar and Howrah-Madhyo — will be held here.
“We were not allowed to gather outside the strong room. But since candidates and their agents are allowed inside, we are there,” said Mohammed Islam, a TMC election agent. “We are guarding the strong rooms in three shifts. We keep a constant eye on the screen in the room where we sit — it gives a live feed from CCTV cameras inside the strong room. Candidates, too, visit frequently,” he said.
* Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata
Kamar Ilahi, a TMC minority cell member and poll agent, stood at the gates where large iron barricades had been put up and Central forces stood guard. The fate of Kashipur-Belgachhia, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Beleghata, Jorasanko and Entally will be decided here.
“On Friday, while watching the CCTV footage, we found some people inside the strong room. I immediately alerted my seniors. Our party lodged a formal complaint with the EC, too,” said Ilahi. The TMC alleged EVM tampering and pointed to footage showing outsiders inside. Protests broke out near the stadium, BJP candidates and workers gathered, and a commotion erupted. The EC clarified it was routine segregation of postal ballots. Barricades were then placed and additional forces deployed.
The police have since imposed prohibitory orders within 200 metres of strong rooms in Kolkata. “What will happen on May 4? We are confident of Didi’s win. My shift started at 11,” said Hriday Kant Jha, who replaced Ilahi at the gate.
* Shekhawat Memorial Girls High School, Kolkata
This strong room saw Mamata Banerjee seated inside till midnight on Friday, alleging EVM tampering, while TMC and BJP supporters chanted slogans outside. Since then, security has been strengthened and roads leading to the school barricaded. Counting for Bhabanipur, where Banerjee faces BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari, will be held here.
Ashim Basu, a Kolkata Municipal Corporation ward councillor from Bhabanipur, said, “One shift started at 9.30 pm and will continue till 8 am. Then another shift runs till 2 pm, and the third shift after that. Only one person per candidate is allowed to enter the strong room.”
Basu said, “At night, about a hundred workers are here. During the day, the numbers increase to 300-400. This is Mamata Banerjee’s constituency. The people love her. We can’t tell them, ‘Don’t come’.”
* APC Ray Polytechnic College, Jadavpur, Kolkata
A group of TMC workers stands outside the main gate alongside Shahjahan Sardar, poll agent of TMC candidate Biman Banerjee (Baruipur-Paschim). Counting for Joynagar, Baruipur-Paschim, Baruipur-Purba, Sonarpur-Dakshin, Sonarpur-Uttar and Kultali will be held here — all these seats were won by TMC in 2021.
“I am inside the strong room 24 hours. We use the bathrooms of the college and arrange food, but we will not stay away from the CCTV monitor. (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah said BJP will get 177 seats… they will reach that number only if we stay away from this venue. So BJP will get less than 50 seats, as (TMC leader) Abhishek Banerjee said,” Sardar said.
* Hastings House & Viharilal College, Kolkata
A large contingent of Central forces is stationed here for counting across two adjacent premises for ten constituencies: Kasba, Behala-Purba and Behala-Paschim (Viharilal College), and Budge Budge, Maheshtala, Satgachhia, Bishnupur, Jadavpur, Tollyganj and Metiabruj (Hastings House).
Male and female jawans guard the outer and inner security cordons alongside Kolkata Police, not allowing any vehicle to stop for more than 10 seconds. Bamboo barricades line a 300-metre perimeter. “We are here to guard the people’s EVMs. The results may be anything, we may lose, but we will not allow any wrongdoing with EVMs,” said Jishan Akhtar, seated on a plastic chair, the tension palpable.
Seated beside him, Mohammed Samiruddin said, “The EC deleted the names of genuine voters in the SIR. They are doing their best to defeat our party. But they don’t know that Bengal is a different place. Bengal never allows such atrocities.”