Mamata-Abishek to Address Counting Agents Today Amid Strong Room Tampering Fears

TMC leadership to hold virtual meet at 4 pm; agents asked to stay vigilant as Bengal awaits Lok Sabha results

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with counting agents on Saturday evening, party sources confirmed. The 4 pm session comes as the ruling party raises concerns over possible tampering inside strong rooms where EVMs are stored ahead of the June 4 vote count.

Virtual Meet at 4 pm

The online briefing will cover counting-day protocols, with emphasis on maintaining constant watch at each table. According to officials familiar with the planning, nearly all booth-level agents have been assigned and will receive final instructions before the meeting ends. The TMC leadership is not leaving anything to chance this time.

Agents Told to Ignore Exit Polls

Sources indicate that Abhishek Banerjee will specifically ask counting agents to disregard exit poll projections entirely. "Stay alert till the last round is completed," a party insider quoted the instruction. Agents have been told that substitutes must be ready to step in whenever needed, and any unusual activity near counting tables requires immediate reporting to the candidate's representative.

Strong Room Tensions in Kolkata

The directive follows heightened anxieties around strong room security over the past fortnight. At Shakhaowat Memorial School in south Kolkata, TMC representatives had flagged what they called "loose access protocols" last week. Similar concerns emerged from Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where party workers reported unauthorised personnel movement during late evening hours. Local authorities have denied any irregularities, but the opposition remains unconvinced.

Discipline Over Provocation

Agents will receive a clear message about maintaining restraint inside counting centres. "Do not engage in arguments. Do not walk away from your post. Report, don't react," a draft advisory reportedly states. The party expects nearly 50,000 agents across Bengal's 42 constituencies to remain on guard through what could be a long counting day. Many will work in 12-hour shifts, with limited breaks.

What Happens Next

Counting of votes for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal begins at 8 am on June 4. Postal ballots will be taken up first, followed by EVM counts. The TMC has set up district-level control rooms to receive real-time updates from agents. Mamata Banerjee is expected to be at her Kalighat residence through the day, monitoring trends as they emerge. For now, the message is simple: watch every vote, trust no shortcut, and stay till the final number is called out.

Section 163 Imposed Outside Kolkata Strong Rooms Amid EVM Tampering Row; Mamata Spends 4 Hours at Bhabanipur Facility

Security tightened at seven locations until May 4 as TMC and BJP trade allegations over strong room access and postal ballot handling

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been clamped outside strong rooms across Kolkata until May 4, with authorities moving to restrict unlawful assembly and movement in sensitive areas following overnight tensions over alleged unauthorised access to EVM storage facilities.

The restrictions cover seven locations including Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, Hastings House Complex, APC Roy Polytechnic College, St. Thomas Boys’ High School, Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School, Ballygunge Government High School, and Babasaheb Ambedkar Education University.

Late Night Visit

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent approximately four hours inside the strong room at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School late Thursday night, emerging around 12:30 am. Officials said she visited the facility after her party raised concerns over suspected irregular activity.

Speaking after the visit, Banerjee warned of strong resistance against any attempt to tamper with EVMs or manipulate the vote count. She alleged that central forces briefly stopped her from accessing the area outside the strong room before she was allowed entry.

Protest at Khudiram Kendra

Trouble first flared around 8 pm at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where TMC candidate Kunal Ghosh and minister Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest. The demonstration came after a video shared by the TMC on X showed what the party claimed were Election Commission officials along with BJP members attempting to open ballot boxes.

Election Commission officials tried to convince the TMC leaders, but they continued their strike until around 9 pm. Seeing the gathering of both TMC and BJP workers swell, a large number of security forces were deployed. By 9:30 pm, BJP workers accused the Bengal Police of lathi charge amid sloganeering and uproar.

EC Clarifies Position

The Election Commission of India has rejected all tampering allegations. In a statement, officials clarified that seven Assembly constituency strong rooms are located within the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, all of which were closed and sealed in the presence of candidates, election agents, and the General Observer after polling concluded. The final strong room was sealed at approximately 5:15 am.

The Commission stated that a separate strong room within the premises has been designated for postal ballots. Segregation of ballots was carried out from 4 pm in the corridor outside the strong rooms, and political parties were formally informed via email.

Political Reactions

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed on social media that the party’s election agent, advocate Suryaneel Das, remained inside the strong room premises during Banerjee’s visit and kept a close watch to ensure no irregular activity took place.

State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said Banerjee is “unable to digest her defeat,” adding that if she believes the BJP and the Election Commission are synonymous, she should approach the Supreme Court. BJP leader Rahul Sinha asserted that Banerjee has “accepted defeat even before counting.”

TMC MP Saugata Roy maintained that “unauthorised people entered the strong room from outside” and alleged that some individuals from Gujarat were shouting slogans outside the school where votes for the Chief Minister’s constituency will be counted.

Security Beefed Up

Kolkata Police Joint Commissioner Rupesh Kumar said additional CAPF and state forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, with extra guard rails placed at key locations. Access to CCTV footage of strong rooms will be restricted to authorised personnel only, with parties required to submit names of agents who can view the feed.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting on Friday with counting agents and key party stakeholders to review preparedness ahead of the vote count.