Bengal Elections 2026: TMC Stages Sit-In Protest Outside EVM Strongroom, Says ‘Ballot Papers Are Moved’; ECI Denies Tampering

Bengal Elections 2026:Trinamool Congress leaders had staged a sit-in protest outside an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strongroom in Kolkata on Thursday, alleging unusual activities within the facility. The protest occurred outside a strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata.

TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja were at the centre of the protest and said that the live-streamed footage revealed that some unidentified people were fiddling with ballot papers from the machines.

What Did The TMC Say?

“Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would be opened again at 4 pm. We contacted our workers, and they said they had left. We then rushed here. Now we are not being allowed to enter. "The BJP is being invited,” Ghosh, who is contesting from Beleghata, alleged this.

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As per Panja, the EVMs were sealed, stamped, and secured after the early hours of polling. "Now if that has been done, how has the strongroom opened?" she asked. "Who are these people inside the strongroom? What are those pink papers that we can see? What are those ballot papers?"

The TMC leader, contesting from Shyampukur, said that when TMC members reached the venue, they were informed that the material being handled inside was related to postal ballots.

But that explanation, she argued, did not address the concern. "Postal ballots or otherwise, we should have been informed," she said.

However, BJP leader Tapas Roy claimed that the accusations are entirely wrong. He said that these are pure rumors and the TMC is doing so to instill fear as they themselves are scared of the results.

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ECI Dismisses Allegations

The Election Commission of India also dismissed the claims; it stated that all seven Assembly constituency strongrooms situated within the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra have been safely secured and sealed. The last strongroom was closed in the morning around 5:15 AM. ⁠All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed. There is another strongroom on the same premises for the postal ballots, wherein we have kept AC-wise polled ballots as done by different polling personnel and ETBPS," the EC said.

The incident took place hours after TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, via a video message, urged party leaders, workers, and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil over strongrooms housing EVMs. “You must guard the counting centres. If needed, I will also go and guard my area. Candidates must guard themselves. Stay awake. If I can do it, so can you. There is a plan to change the machines while transporting EVMs. Don’t take this lightly.”