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Opened at least 10 times: BJP alleges wrongful strongroom activity after TMC Kolkata faceoff
Amid ongoing preparations for the West Bengal assembly election counting, BJP accused a strongroom at Bidhannagar of being opened without authorization, with six officials suspended. The allegation followed a day after the Trinamool Congress staged a sit-in outside Kolkata's Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre.
Why It Matters
The incident highlights alleged irregularities in EVM strongrooms and political tensions ahead of the May 4 counting, potentially impacting public trust in the process.
Timeline
2 Events
BJP alleges unauthorized opening of strongroom; six officials suspended
May 1, 2026
BJP leaders complained to the Bidhannagar Sub-divisional Officer after a strongroom was allegedly opened without authorisation. Six officials were suspended. BJP leader Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay stated the strongroom had been opened not once or twice, but at least ten times, and that the assigned work for booths 116 and 117 had just been completed in terms of segregation and postal ballots.
TMC sit-in outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra (Kolkata counting centre for EVM strongrooms)
April 30, 2026
The Trinamool Congress led a sit-in outside central Kolkata’s Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, described as the counting centre for several assembly constituencies housing EVM strongrooms. This occurred the day before ongoing reports of tensions in the counting process.