West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is being 'kept under surveillance' ahead of the state election results, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed on Friday. The move comes as the Trinamool supremo spent nearly four hours at an EVM strongroom the night before, leaving at 12:07 am.
Adhikari, who is challenging Banerjee in Bhabanipur, said that electronic voting machines (EVMs) and strongrooms in the Bhabanipur constituency were being strictly monitored amid allegations of ballot tampering.
Adhikari shared an image of Banerjee inside the strongroom and wrote, 'I wish to assure the esteemed community of voters from the entire state of West Bengal, including the Bhabanipur constituency, that the Trinamool candidate from this centre, namely the outgoing chief minister…has been strictly instructed to refrain from availing any undue advantages.'
His remarks came a day after Banerjee visited the strongroom in Kolkata late at night. The TMC leader alleged BJP attempts to tamper with EVMs and warned against any such efforts.
Mamata Banerjee alleged that reports of irregularities related to electronic voting machines had showed up from several parts of the state. She said she decided to visit the strong room after reviewing CCTV visuals.
Earlier, protests by Trinamool leaders staged protests outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata. Leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja alleged irregular activity inside the facility. They claimed CCTV footage showed outsiders inside the premises 'fiddling with ballot papers'. BJP leader Tapas Roy said that strict security arrangements are in place at the EVM strongrooms and accused the Trinamool of spreading rumours ahead of the counting process.
Late Thursday night, the chief minister arrived at Sakhawat Memorial School, which houses an EVM strongroom night. 'I have come here because there is a strong room here for EVMs, we found manipulations at many places, so when I saw it on TV, I thought I should visit, I came, but the central forces restricted me, I told I have a right to go, as per election rule, candidates are allowed till outside the sealed room. I was then allowed... If there is manipulation, we will fight...'
She added, 'People's votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter.'
Banerjee also issued a warning ahead of counting day on May 4, saying, 'If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated.'
The protest led police to deploy personnel in outside of strongrooms in Kolkata. Chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal dismissed the claims, saying there was no basis for suspicion and that the arrangements were fully secure under three-tier security comprising state police and CAPF.
