TMC Raises Concerns Over Alleged Unauthorized Handling of Postal Ballots Ahead of Bengal Vote Count

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal, has lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding what it describes as the unauthorized sorting of postal ballot covers. This allegation has emerged just before the crucial counting of votes for the recent Assembly elections, which are scheduled for Monday.

The elections in West Bengal were conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. In light of some irregularities reported, a repolling exercise was undertaken on Saturday at 15 polling stations located in the South 24 Parganas district, where voting had taken place during the second phase.

According to TMC representatives who were present outside the strongroom at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata, they witnessed the arrival of eight trunks filled with postal ballots at around 4 AM. These trunks were reportedly moved to a room that lacked adequate security camera surveillance, raising alarm among party members about the handling of the ballots. The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from various Assembly segments in the northern and eastern parts of Kolkata are secured within the same strongroom.

A TMC official, who chose to remain unnamed, expressed grave concerns over the lack of surveillance in areas where both EVMs and postal ballots were stored. The party has been vocal about its demand for complete transparency, insisting that every corner of the strongroom be monitored by CCTV cameras. The sudden movement of the ballot trunks into a non-surveilled area has led to questions regarding the security of the election process.

As tensions began to flare at the site, Purnima Chakraborty, a representative from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was reported to have engaged in confrontational discussions with TMC members. The situation underscores the heightened scrutiny and contentious atmosphere surrounding the electoral process in West Bengal, particularly given the fierce rivalry between the TMC and the BJP. The allegations of unauthorized ballot handling could further complicate an already charged political landscape as both parties gear up for the vote count.

Source: scroll.in