No Scope for Wrongdoing at Counting Centres, Says Bengal CEO Amid EVM Row
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Friday asserted that there is no scope for any wrongdoing at counting centres, dismissing allegations of irregularities raised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
His statement came a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency and expressed concerns over possible malpractices involving EVM strong rooms.
Agarwal emphasised that all strong rooms are under continuous CCTV surveillance and that robust security arrangements have been put in place. “There is no scope for any wrongdoing given the arrangements made. Allegations should be backed by evidence,” he said.
Security has been significantly tightened at key counting centres, including Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in central Kolkata, which houses EVM strong rooms for multiple constituencies. Officials confirmed deployment of additional central armed police forces and local police under senior supervision.
Despite the assurances, TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja maintained their demand for transparency. The leaders had earlier staged a sit-in protest outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, alleging suspicious activity inside strong rooms based on CCTV footage.
The Election Commission has rejected these claims, clarifying that officials seen in the footage were engaged in the routine process of segregating postal ballots and that all protocols were being strictly followed.
Banerjee, who spent several hours at the Bhabanipur counting centre, warned against any attempt to interfere with the counting process ahead of the May 4 results, stating that such actions would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, officials reported that the situation remained peaceful on Friday morning, with heightened security and strict monitoring continuing at counting centres across Kolkata and other districts.
