TMC flags alleged irregularities in postal ballot handling in Bengal

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday alleged irregularities in the handling of postal ballots in West Bengal and lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (EC).

The allegation is based on an incident at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata, where electronic voting machines (EVMs) from several assembly constituencies are stored. TMC workers stationed outside the strongroom claimed that eight boxes containing postal ballots were brought in around 4 am and taken to a room without CCTV coverage.

Party leaders said they had consistently demanded comprehensive surveillance of all EVMs and postal ballots, and alleged that moving the boxes outside camera range raised serious concerns about transparency.

Tensions escalated at the site when Purnima Chakraborty, a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Shyampukur, arrived with her supporters. Both sides exchanged slogans, prompting police intervention to maintain order. Chakraborty accused TMC workers of creating unrest out of fear of defeat.

A similar protest unfolded at Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas district, where TMC supporters alleged that CCTV cameras outside a strongroom had been switched off for 17 minutes. The party’s Ashoknagar candidate, Narayan Goswami, reached the spot and sought access to the premises.

Election officials, however, denied any lapse in surveillance, stating that the cameras were functioning properly and that only the external monitor wires had been damaged. They added that the recorded footage for the period in question would be made available to political parties upon request.

Meanwhile, the BJP circulated a video purportedly showing a man scaling the wall of a building in East Bardhaman district where EVMs were stored. The EC dismissed the clip as outdated, clarifying that the individual was part of a team installing CCTV cameras and air-conditioning units.

The allegations come just days before the counting of votes, heightening political tensions in the state as parties remain on edge over the integrity of the process.

With IANS inputs