Replication of West Bengal and Assam Election Approach in Uttarakhand..
The BJP is adopting a unique strategy to connect directly with the public ahead of next year’s assembly elections in Uttarakhand. This approach was previously adopted in the assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam. To achieve a hat-trick of victories in the Assam assembly elections and defeat the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, the BJP’s strong organization was tested on many levels. A transparent system of constant communication and feedback with the public was developed, allowing the organization to correct its shortcomings from time to time. Similarly, in Bengal, this strategy helped identify voter-related issues with the organization at the booth level. Mandal-level meetings will be held every week The BJP is also adopting this strategy for next year’s assembly elections in Uttarakhand. This will help it understand the real problems of the public and increase direct engagement with them, thereby strengthening election preparations. In this regard, Mandal-level meetings will be held every week, district-level meetings every second week, and state-level meetings in the last week of the month. Following the success in Assam, pressure has increased to achieve a hat-trick in Uttarakhand as well. Due to this, BJP National President Nitin Naveen will be visiting Uttarakhand this month. During this time, he will review the government and organizational preparations for the upcoming elections. In view of this, the organization has focused special attention on the 23 assembly seats held by the opposition and independents. The 47 constituencies where BJP MLAs are facing booth-wise problems will be addressed and voters will be contacted. BJP State General Secretary Organization Kundan Parihar stated that the victory in Bengal and Assam has boosted the BJP’s morale. The success achieved by the organization in these states will be replicated in Uttarakhand. For this purpose, the organization will hold a Mandal-level meeting every week.
EVM Controversy Sparks Security Clampdown in Kolkata Ahead of Results
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.