TMC leaders sit-in at Kolkata EVM strongroom over tampering fears
Synopsis
With counting just days away, two senior TMC leaders — both election candidates — launched a sit-in outside a key Kolkata EVM strongroom on 30 April, alleging Central forces had cleared party workers from the premises before an unannounced reopening. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to personally guard strongrooms until 4 May.
Key Takeaways
Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh began a sit-in outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra , Kolkata, on 30 April evening.
TMC alleged Central forces removed party workers from the EVM strongroom at 3:30 pm before an unannounced reopening at 4:00 pm .
Ghosh claimed only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representatives were being allowed access to the premises.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a video calling on TMC workers to guard all strongrooms until counting begins on 4 May .
TMC has demanded greater transparency from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on strongroom access.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders launched a sit-in protest outside an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strongroom in Kolkata on Thursday evening, 30 April, alleging that party workers guarding the facility had been deliberately moved away by Central forces — raising fears of tampering with stored EVMs ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election counting on 4 May.
Who Is Protesting and Where
Sashi Panja, West Bengal's Minister for Women & Child Development, Social Welfare, and Commerce & Industries, and Kunal Ghosh, TMC's state General Secretary, began the sit-in outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in central Kolkata. The venue serves as a key EVM strongroom for Assembly constituencies in North Kolkata. Both Panja and Ghosh are themselves candidates in the ongoing state Assembly polls.
What Triggered the Protest
According to Ghosh, TMC workers were present outside the strongroom until 3:30 pm on Thursday. He alleged they were subsequently removed by Central forces. Shortly after, he claimed, an email was sent notifying him that the strongroom would reopen at 4:00 pm. When he contacted party workers by phone, they confirmed they had already left the premises.
Ghosh alleged: "Thereafter, they were removed in the afternoon by the Central forces. In the meantime, an email was suddenly sent informing me that the strong room would reopen at 4:00 p.m. We then contacted the party workers by phone. We asked whether they were there. They said that they had left. Then the two of us rushed to the place. Now they are not letting us in. They are inviting the Bharatiya Janata Party."
Demands from the Election Commission
Panja described strongroom guarding as an extremely sensitive issue in this election. She questioned why every political party was not informed when the strongroom was reopened, and called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to be more transparent about activities within the strongrooms. The Central forces and the ECI had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
Mamata Banerjee's Call to Action
The sit-in began just hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a video message expressing similar apprehensions about EVM tampering. Banerjee issued a call to TMC workers and leaders across the state to stand guard outside EVM strongrooms until counting begins on the morning of 4 May. She also stated she would personally be on the streets guarding the strongrooms until then.
What Happens Next
EVM counting for the West Bengal Assembly elections is scheduled for 4 May. The sit-in protest is expected to continue until counting begins. If the ECI does not respond to TMC's transparency demands, political tensions in the state are likely to intensify further in the days ahead.
Point of View
It signals a coordinated pre-counting narrative. What is notable is that both protesters are election candidates, which deepens the conflict-of-interest optics. The ECI's silence in response to specific access allegations is the more important story here: in a democracy, the credibility of the counting process rests on perceived neutrality, and unanswered allegations — however unverified — erode that trust. The BJP invitation claim, if true, demands a formal ECI explanation; if false, the TMC's credibility takes a hit.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are TMC leaders protesting outside the Kolkata EVM strongroom?
TMC leaders Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh allege that Central forces deliberately removed party workers from guarding the EVM strongroom at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata on 30 April, before the strongroom was reopened without informing all parties. They fear this could enable EVM tampering ahead of the 4 May counting.
Who is Sashi Panja and why is she involved?
Sashi Panja is West Bengal's Minister for Women & Child Development, Social Welfare, and Commerce & Industries, and a TMC candidate in the current Assembly elections. She joined the sit-in protest and demanded that the Election Commission of India ensure all parties are informed when strongrooms are accessed.
What did Mamata Banerjee say about the EVM strongrooms?
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a video message on 30 April expressing apprehension about EVM tampering and called on TMC workers and leaders to guard strongrooms across the state. She stated she would personally be on the streets until counting begins on 4 May.
When is the West Bengal Assembly election counting scheduled?
The counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections is scheduled for the morning of 4 May. TMC leaders have said their sit-in protest will continue until then.
Has the Election Commission of India responded to TMC's allegations?
As of the time of reporting, the Election Commission of India and Central forces had not publicly responded to TMC's allegations about the removal of party workers from the Kolkata EVM strongroom.
