The political atmosphere in West Bengal has reached a fever pitch as the state eagerly awaits the final outcome of the highly contested assembly elections. Following the conclusion of the second and last phase of voting on April 29—which was unfortunately marked by episodes of violence and intense political debates concerning voter list revisions—the anticipation for the May 4 counting day is immense.

This election is undeniably one of India's most scrutinized political battles this year, featuring an aggressive Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to dethrone the incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC), while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fiercely seeks another term in office.

Amidst this highly charged environment, the pressure seemingly boiled over for Trinamool leaders. On April 28, TMC Member of Parliament Kalyan Banerjee lost his temper during a media address, directing a string of harsh expletives at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Accusing the Election Commission of displaying clear favoritism towards the BJP, the visibly furious MP also alleged that Shah was engaging in unlawful actions and actively intimidating rival political figures.

In his scathing attack, Kalyan Banerjee stated verbatim: “A Home Minister being a Gunda. He is a Gunda, he is a Jallad…His original in Gujarat was Gunda. Gunda means it is in his blood. Amit Shah has done all these illegal activities. He is a dirty man. Completely dirty man.”

He further elaborated on his claims of an unfair playing field, declaring: “The governor is against us. The Election Commission is against us. CISF, CRPF, and every central machinery are against us.”

The political drama escalated significantly on Thursday, April 30. Hours after Mamata Banerjee circulated a video message cautioning her party workers about the potential threat of EVM manipulation and urging them to meticulously guard the strongrooms until counting commenced, chaos erupted in central Kolkata. Trinamool Congress members initiated a sit-in demonstration right outside the strongroom located at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, a facility housing the Electronic Voting Machines for various north Kolkata Assembly constituencies.

Leading this protest were Bengal minister Shashi Panja and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, both of whom are also candidates in the current elections. They alleged serious procedural discrepancies regarding the handling of the polling materials.

Voicing his concerns over a sudden schedule change, Kunal Ghosh detailed: "Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would be opened again at 4 pm. We contacted our workers, and they said they had left. We then rushed here. Now we are not being allowed to enter. BJP is being invited."

Similarly, Shashi Panja, the candidate for the Shyampukur constituency, vehemently questioned the entire process, asking: "The strongroom is extremely sensitive. If it is opened, all political parties must be informed. Why was no one informed?"

The unrest culminated in a high-voltage, late-night standoff in south Kolkata. The Chief Minister herself arrived at the Sakhawat Memorial School, which serves as the counting centre and strongroom for the Bhabanipur assembly segment, where she is contesting. Alleging that the opposition was actively attempting to manipulate and tamper with the EVMs, Mamata Banerjee spent several hours inside the facility.

Explaining her unprecedented late-night visit, she remarked: “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 them I have a right to go, as per the election rule, candidates are allowed till outside the sealed room. I was then allowed…If there is manipulation, we will fight…”

Emphasizing the critical need for fairness in the democratic process, she continued: "People's votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter. If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."

She concluded with a stern warning to any potential wrongdoers: “If someone tries to steal the EVM machine or tamper with the counting, we will fight a life-and-death battle.”

While the Chief Minister maintained her vigil inside, Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool candidate for the Kolkata Port seat, Firhad Hakim, arrived at the location but was unable to secure a meeting with her.

Simultaneously, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, the opposition candidate actively challenging Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency, took to the social media platform X. He uploaded a video demonstrating that his election agent was maintaining a close watch on the strongroom during the Chief Minister's prolonged visit.

Addressing the situation, Adhikari wrote: "I wish to assure the esteemed community of voters from the entire state of West Bengal, including the Bhabanipur constituency, that the Trinamool Congress candidate from this center, namely the outgoing Chief Minister, the Honorable, has been strictly instructed to refrain from availing any undue advantages. As long as she was present in the strong room premises, my election agent, Advocate Suryanil Das, was personally there keeping her under strict surveillance so that she could not resort to any dishonest means."

He confidently added: "No matter how much effort she makes, she has been unable to engage in any activities outside the rules."

Following the dramatic night, the Election Commission promptly refuted all allegations of mishandling. The poll body maintained that every standard operating procedure was rigorously followed and assured the public that the polling materials were completely safe.

In an official clarification, the Election Commission stated: "The last strongroom was closed in the morning around 5:15 am. All strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed. There is another strongroom in the same premises for the postal ballots, wherein we have kept AC-wise polled ballots as done by different polling personnel and ETBPS."

Leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party were quick to dismiss the Trinamool Congress's claims as baseless. Senior BJP figure Tapas Roy, who also visited the site to inspect the security, remarked: "These are all pure rumours that the TMC is spreading now to create an environment of fear because they're themselves scared. I have also come here to check the strongroom. The TMC is spreading lies."

Adding to the criticism, Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT Cell, characterized the Chief Minister's extended stay at the counting centre as a clear sign of impending defeat. He observed: "Mamata Banerjee's theatrics this evening are perhaps the clearest "exit poll" for West Bengal. The writing on the wall is evident and so is the desperation to distract from it."

The ultimate verdict on these 294 assembly seats will be revealed very soon, as the Election Commission has guaranteed that the counting process will commence on May 4 under exceptionally tight security protocols.
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