Bengal: Ballot box row erupts in Kolkata as TMC alleges tampering ahead of count

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders including Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a dharna outside Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday amid rising tensions over the alleged handling of ballot boxes linked to the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, which were held in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, with counting scheduled for 4 May.

The protest was triggered by a video posted by the party on social media that allegedly shows CCTV footage of attempts to open ballot boxes without the presence of authorised representatives from all political parties. The footage has not been independently verified by National Herald. However, its circulation appears to have heightened concern on the ground, with party workers gathering in large numbers outside the counting centre.

According to sources at the site, TMC leaders have accused officials linked to the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of attempting to open ballot boxes without following due procedure. There has been no official confirmation of these allegations so far, and election authorities are yet to issue a detailed response.

Dr Panja, a senior TMC leader and minister in the West Bengal government, has been at the forefront of the protest. Alongside her, Ghosh, a prominent party spokesperson and Assembly candidate from Beleghata, joined the sit-in, calling for transparency and strict adherence to electoral norms.

The developments come after chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged party workers to keep a close watch on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and counting centres, asking them to remain vigilant to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee released a video message thanking voters for what she described as a high level of participation in the polls. She also expressed confidence in her party’s prospects, stating that the TMC would secure no fewer than 226 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Amid the ongoing protest, Banerjee is reportedly on her way to Netaji Indoor Stadium and is expected to join the dharna alongside party colleagues, a move likely to intensify political attention around the counting process.

Security has been tightened in and around the stadium, with authorities closely monitoring the situation. While the claims emerging from the unverified video remain unconfirmed, their impact on the political atmosphere is evident, particularly against the backdrop of continuing concerns around procedural transparency in the conduct of elections.