Following a high-voltage controversy over alleged EVM tampering in Kolkata ahead of vote counting, authorities have tightened security and imposed strict restrictions. After Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised concerns about “suspicious activities,” police banned all forms of public gatherings in seven sensitive locations across the city.
The restrictions have been enforced in areas including Sahid Khudiram Bose Road, Judge’s Court Road, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour Road, Lord Sinha Hall, Naresh Mitra Sarani (Beltala Road), and Pramathesh Barua Sarani. Security has also been significantly strengthened around strong rooms where EVMs are stored, as well as at counting centres.
At Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, which houses EVMs from several constituencies in north and east Kolkata, additional central forces and armed police personnel have been deployed. Officials stated that the entire area is under close supervision of senior officers.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated outside Netaji Indoor Stadium, where workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and TMC engaged in sloganeering and a brief clash. TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a protest at the site. Amid the situation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Shakhawat Memorial counting centre and remained there for some time.
However, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal dismissed the allegations, stating that all strong rooms were sealed properly after polling in the presence of candidates and officials. He clarified that postal ballots were being sorted using torchlight due to the absence of electricity inside strong rooms—a standard protocol—which was misinterpreted as suspicious activity. According to him, the entire process remains secure and transparent, with all stakeholders kept informed.