In the final hours before vote counting in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, controversy has surfaced in Kolkata after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged irregular handling of postal ballots and lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India.
The issue centres on a strongroom at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where EVMs and postal ballots are stored. TMC leaders claimed that trunks containing postal ballots were brought into the premises in the early hours, reportedly around 4a.m. They alleged these were taken into a room without CCTV surveillance, raising concerns over transparency and adherence to protocol. Party representatives further stated that postal ballot covers were being handled or sorted without proper authorization, calling the situation “suspicious.”
"We have been demanding that every single millimeter of space where EVMs and postal ballots be under CCTV surveillance. But as these trunks were taken inside, it was clear that they were taken to a room not under CCTV cover. Why should this happen," a TMC member asked.
As tensions simmered outside the strongroom, the situation took a sharper political turn when Purnima Chakraborty arrived at the site with her supporters, intensifying the charged atmosphere. What followed was a volley of slogan shouting from both camps, as police personnel formed a human barrier between rival groups in an effort to restore calm.
Chakraborty alleged that the protests were politically motivated, claiming that TMC workers, “sensing defeat,” were attempting to manufacture unrest outside the strongroom. The Trinamool Congress, however, maintained it’s stance, later confirming that it had formally lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over the incident.
A similar scene unfolded in North 24 Parganas at Barasat Government College, where TMC workers staged demonstrations alleging that CCTV surveillance had been disrupted for nearly 17 minutes during the morning hours. The party’s Ashoknagar candidate, Narayan Goswami, reached the spot and demanded entry into the premises, seeking clarity on the alleged lapse.
Election officials, however, rejected claims of malfunction. One official stated that the CCTV cameras were fully operational, attributing the disruption to snapped power cables connected to external monitors. “The 17 minute footage will be shared with TMC or any party that requests it,” the official assured, attempting to quell suspicions.
Meanwhile, in Purba Bardhaman, the controversy took another turn after the BJP circulated a purported video showing an unidentified individual scaling the boundary walls of the University Institute of Technology, where EVMs had been stored adding yet another layer of unease to an already fraught pre counting landscape.
The TMC has formally approached the Election Commission, demanding an inquiry and stricter enforcement of guidelines, including continuous CCTV monitoring and transparency in handling postal ballots.
With counting day approaching, the incident has added to the charged political atmosphere, highlighting concerns over the security and integrity of the electoral process.
