A massive political row erupted in West Bengal on Thursday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders staged a sit-in protest outside central Kolkata's Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, the counting centre for several assembly constituencies housing EVM strongrooms, alleging irregular activities inside the facility.
TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, alleging that live-streamed footage from CCTV cameras revealed the presence of outsiders inside the strongrooms who were "fiddling with ballot papers" from the machines.
The Election Commission, however, dismissed the claim regarding the handling of polled materials at the centre, stating that poll officials were engaged in the task of segregating postal ballots as per due process and the strongrooms remained secure.
West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal rubbished TMC's allegations, asserting that EVMs were safe and secure in the strongrooms.
The matter came to a head after BJP's Maniktala candidate Tapas Roy, accompanied by party candidate from Chowrangee Santosh Pathak, reached the spot and confronted senior police officers on why they allowed the TMC workers to gather and shout slogans at the sensitive venue.
