Mamata alleges EVM tampering in Kolkata

Electronic voting machines are the object at the center of this fight — but the real story is control of the count. Late on April 30, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee went in person to the Bhabanipur counting center and strong room in Kolkata after her party alleged suspicious activity around stored EVMs. The Election Commission pushed back fast and said the strong rooms were sealed, monitored, and secure. So now Bengal has a pre-results showdown on top of an already tense election. (indianexpress.com) ### What actually happened in Kolkata? Banerjee reached Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School in Bhabanipur on Thursday night and stayed there for hours, saying she had received reports of possible manipulation where EVMs were stored. Around the same time, TMC leaders and workers staged protests outside other Kolkata strong-room sites, especially Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, and the party circulated video clips it said showed irregular handling of election material. (indianexpress.com) ### Why is the strong room such a big deal? Because that is where polled EVMs are kept after voting and before counting. In India’s election process, those rooms are supposed to be sealed in the presence of candidates or their agents and watched under tight security and CCTV. If a party convinces supporters that (indianexpress.com) procedural complaint into a political confrontation. (timesnownews.com) ### What is TMC claiming? TMC’s line is basically this: something looked wrong around the stored machines and ballot material, and the party did not trust the official explanation enough to stay quiet. Banerjee said she would resist any attempt to “loot” votes, while the party a(timesnownews.com)ess aggressively. (indianexpress.com) ### What is the Election Commission saying back? The Commission’s answer is much narrower and more procedural. Officials said the strong rooms were duly closed and sealed in the presence of candidates, election agents, and observers, and that continuous CCTV monitoring was in place. Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal also said no CCTV had been turned off and there was “no scope” for wrongdoing at the counting centers under the existing arrangements. (timesnownews.com) ### Where do the 77 complaints fit in? This is the part that gives the row weight. Before the Kolkata drama, Bengal’s CEO had already said 77 EVM-tampering or malfunction complaints came in from phase two polling, concentrated in Falta, Diamond Harbour, Magrahat, and Budge Budge(timesnownews.com) issue — but it does explain why the atmosphere is so combustible. (moneycontrol.com) ### Why are nerves so raw right now? Because the result still looks open enough for both sides to think process could decide perception. Exit polls in Bengal have been mixed, with some showing a BJP edge and others projecting a TMC advantage. In that kind of environment, every video clip, sealed door, and police barricade gets interpreted as evidence of a larger plot. (livemint.com) ### What changed on May 1? Security tightened further. Kolkata Police imposed restrictions under Section 163 around strong-room sites, including Bhabanipur’s Sakhawat Memorial School, after the late-night confrontation. That tells you officials are now treating the dispute itself as a law-and-order risk before counting day. (indiatvnews.com) ### Bottom line? This is not yet proof of EVM tampering. It is a very public battle over trust, custody, and narrative before May 4 counting. And in a close Bengal election, that battle can matter almost as much as the machines themselves. (timesnownews.com)