After EVM tampering charges, gathering banned at 7 Kolkata strongrooms
What's the story
The Kolkata Police have imposed a ban on gatherings in seven areas where ballot papers and polled Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are currently stored. This decision comes after a night of high drama at two counting centers, triggered by allegations of suspicious activities by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The areas under the prohibitory orders include Sahid Kshudiram Bose Road, Judge's Court Road, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour Road, Lord Sinha Hall, Pramathesh Barua Sarani and Naresh Mitra Sarani (Beltala Road).
Twitter Post
Read order here
#Breaking| In view of the chaotic situation reported at two EVM strong rooms—Khudiram Anusilan Kendra and Sakhawat Memorial School—Kolkata Police has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS around all seven designated strong rooms in the city.
— Piyali Mitra (@Plchakraborty) May 1, 2026
As per the order… pic.twitter.com/GYmieJ8vmP
Protest escalation
TMC tweet alleged suspicious activity
The controversy began with a Trinamool Congress tweet citing suspicious activity inside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in central Kolkata, where EVMs from all seven North Kolkata Assembly seats are stored. Trinamool workers soon gathered in large numbers as news spread that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on her way. She instead went to the strongroom of Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, where she spent over four hours before leaving after midnight.
TMC
Protest outside Netaji Indoor Stadium
Simultaneously, TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a protest outside a strongroom at Netaji Indoor Stadium. This was after Banerjee released a video warning workers about the possibility of EVM tampering and urged them to guard strongrooms until counting began. BJP candidates Tapas Roy and Santosh Kumar Pathak objecting to the gathering, leading to a brief confrontation between BJP and TMC party workers.
Official statement
TMC's allegations of suspicious activities dismissed
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has dismissed the TMC's allegations of suspicious activities. He clarified that strong rooms at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra were properly sealed in the presence of concerned candidates, election agents and observers after polling ended on Wednesday. The last strong room was sealed at 5:15am on Thursday, he added.
Postal ballot security
Postal ballots were being sorted, clarified Agarwal
Agarwal further clarified that postal ballots from various centers were being sorted by polling officials. He said returning officers informed political parties about this exercise through email. The separation of postal ballots was carried out in the corridors of polling booths from 4:00pm under supervision, he added. "They are all safe, secured and locked," Agarwal said, adding representatives from both TMC and BJP were shown everything related to the process.