The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said there were no discrepancies inside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata — a strongroom where EVMs have been placed — after Trinamool Congress (TMC)
candidates staged a sit-in protest outside the facility.
“We have got the allegations checked and found no merit”, an Election Commission source told CNN-News18.
An intense drama continues to unfold outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata as TMC candidates — Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja — staged a sit-in protest, alleging irregular activities inside the EVM strongroom.
The protest followed TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to party workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil over strongrooms housing EVMs.
In a post on ‘X’, the TMC claimed, “This is the murder of democracy in broad daylight. CCTV footage has exposed how @BJP4India, in active collusion with the @ECISVEEP, is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders. This is gross electoral fraud being committed openly with the full knowledge and protection of the Election Commission.”
Sharing a purported footage of the incident, the TMC hit out at the BJP, alleging malpractices inside the strongroom.
“They have tried every dirty trick, name deletion, voter intimidation, Central Force terror, cash flooding, and failed miserably. Now, in sheer desperation, they have stooped to tampering with EVMs. But Bengal is not Maharashtra, Delhi, or Bihar. We will not sit silently and watch them loot our democracy”, the party wrote in a post on ‘X’.
“Our leaders Smt. @DrShashiPanja and Shri @KunalGhoshAgain have already begun a dharna outside Netaji Indoor Stadium. Smt. @MamataOfficial will personally visit the spot and take stock of the situation. The people of Bengal are watching this daylight robbery”, it added.
Kunal Ghosh, a TMC candidate from Belaghata, alleged that none of TMC representatives were allowed to enter the strongroom.
#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | Kolkata: TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh sit on a dharna in front of the strong room, outside Netaji Indoor Stadium.
They alleged that attempts are being made by BJP and ECI officials to open boxes without the presence of relevant… pic.twitter.com/nAxlxZvZfY
— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2026
“…You can watch in the livestreaming and CCTV camera of Election Commission that a few people are working inside. None of our representatives is inside…They are not letting us in. They are asking us to speak with other candidates. Why should we take responsibility of other candidates?…” Ghosh said, as quoted by ANI.
Shashi Panja, a TMC leader who is in the fray from the Shyampukur constituency, said, “…We are concerned. There should be no manipulation. Why are we not being shown all of that?”
What ECI Said
Reacting to the incident, the West Bengal Circle Officer said the strong rooms inside the Khudiram facility had been closed and sealed in the presence of candidates and election agents.
“There are seven AC strong rooms inside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. They all have been duly closed and sealed in the presence of candidates/election agents and General Observer after completion of poll yesterday. Last Strong room was closed in the morning around 5.15 A.M.”, he said.
The Circle Officer assured candidates that all strongrooms housing EVMs are safely secured and sealed.
“All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed.
There is another strong room in the same premise for Postal ballot wherein we have kept AC wise polled ballots as done by different polling personnel and ETBPS”, he said.
“We had notified all Observers, ROs and requested ROs to inform their candidates and agents about this. ROs informed the political parties by mail. The segregation of the ballot was taking place in the corridor of strong rooms containing polled premise from 4 P.M. The main strong rooms are safely secured and locked.
The same was duly shown to Mrs Panja, Mr Kunal Ghosh and Kali from BJP”, he added.
Polling in West Bengal was held in two phases — April 23 and 29 — with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
