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May 10, 2026
A political storm erupted in West Bengal Thursday night after the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs), with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visiting a strongroom in south Kolkata to review the situation, as her party leaders staged a sit-in.
The TMC alleged that an attempt was made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tamper the EVMs at the Sakhawat Memorial School, which is a counting center for Banerjee’s Bhabanipur assembly constituency. However, the poll officials have refuted the TMC’s charge.
Speaking to news agency ANI, North Kolkata District Election Officer (DEO) Smita Pandey narrated the statutory process to segregate postal ballots. She said officials have been given personnel votes at facilitation center, which could be from another district or assembly.
This process is conducted in a “controlled and secure” environment, Pandey said, adding that officials are deployed at designated areas to ensure that no unauthorised person gets the access. “Our people are sitting in the corridor. The EVM strong room is closed; it is sealed,” she stated.
The North Kolkata DEO also told ANI that both EVMs and postal ballots are handled independently as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI). “The EVM room is separate. The strong room for postal ballots is separate, and we have to remove them and segregate them,” she said.
