West Bengal has been placed under an extensive security umbrella ahead of vote counting on Monday, with top officials from central and state forces carrying out final inspections of strongrooms and counting centres across the state.
At the heart of the security arrangements, Director General of CRPF GP Singh along with senior officer Vitul Kumar inspected the strongroom at Netaji Subhas Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
The facility, which houses Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), has been converted into a high-security zone with multi-layered protection, CCTV surveillance and barricaded entry points.
Kolkata, West Bengal: DG CRPF GP Singh is inspecting the areas around the strongroom located at Netaji Subhas Indoor Stadium ahead of vote counting
scheduled for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/xlZxCSofZR
— IANS (@ians_india) May 3, 2026
Similar security checks were conducted at several other counting-linked sites, including Bidhannagar College and Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur, where heavy deployment of central and state forces was visible. Senior Kolkata Police officials also reviewed arrangements, ensuring strict access control and preparedness for the counting process.
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Strongrooms Under Multi-Layer Security
Across Kolkata and other districts, strongrooms remain under a three-tier security system comprising central paramilitary forces, state police and continuous electronic monitoring. Officials said no unauthorised access is permitted and only designated personnel with valid passes will be allowed inside counting zones.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand said all security arrangements have been thoroughly reviewed. He added that personnel have been briefed on duty protocols, entry restrictions, and identification procedures to ensure a smooth counting process.
“We have checked the three tier security arrangements. Those who will be deployed for duty, have been briefed, how will they carry out their duty tomorrow, who are authorized, how are the passes, who can enter, what is the role of the police,” Nand said.
Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta said the Commission is fully prepared for counting day, and added that there is no possibility of vote theft or irregularities.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta says, “We are fully prepared. There is no possibility of vote theft. There will be no irregularities in the counting of votes.”
“Security arrangements are complete. Everyone has been trained for the… pic.twitter.com/KIo0UPBGnH
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2026
“Security arrangements are complete. Everyone has been trained for the counting. There will be central government employees, and some state government employees as well. There will be no irregularities,” Gupta noted.
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432 Counting Observers Deployed
The Election Commission has deployed 432 counting observers across all 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal to ensure transparency and compliance during counting. Additional observers have been placed in sensitive districts such as North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad.
Alongside this, enforcement agencies have carried out large-scale seizures during the election period, amounting to over Rs 561 crore, including cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and freebies. Agencies such as the ED, DRI, NCB, BSF and Customs were involved in the operations.
With counting set to begin at 8 am, West Bengal is bracing for a closely watched verdict amid unprecedented security arrangements and political anticipation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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