Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 2 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Shashi Panja on Saturday arrived at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, which has been converted into a strongroom for the secure storage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at the venue, with multiple layers of barricading and personnel deployed to ensure the safety of the EVMs.
Authorities said access to the premises is strictly regulated, with candidates and authorised agents allowed to monitor the strongroom as per Election Commission guidelines.
Panja's visit comes amid heightened political tensions following allegations of EVM tampering and the Election Commission's decision to conduct repolling in 15 booths in South 24 Parganas district. Repolling is underway in 11 booths of Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and four booths of Diamond Harbour constituency after reports of irregularities during the second phase of polling on April 29.
Earlier, Panja had alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deliberately attempted to provoke unrest during polling to force repolling and malign the state's electoral process. She said, "This was basically the strategy of the BJP... they would provoke the other political parties... so that there could be a massive repoll in many more booths. We did not react to their provocation." She further claimed that the BJP resorted to such tactics due to a lack of electoral preparedness.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Shyampukur, Purnima Chakraborty, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the strong room and EVMs remain secure. She accused Panja of creating unnecessary drama out of "fear of defeat" and expressed confidence in the BJP's performance.
The political developments come even as the Supreme Court of India constituted a special bench to hear a plea by the TMC regarding the deployment of supervisors for vote counting.
West Bengal recorded a high voter turnout of 92.67 per cent in the final phase, with results set to be declared on May 4.
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