Strongroom opened at least 10 times: Now BJP alleges wrongdoing after TMC

BJP leaders have complained to the Bidhannagar SDO over the alleged unauthorised opening of a strong room. The complaint has been followed by the suspension of six officials.

In Short

• BJP leaders submit complaint to Bidhannagar sub-divisional officer
• Party leaders allege strongroom opened without permission, before time
• Authorities suspend six officials following reported breach, complaint

As the day of counting of votes and West Bengal Assembly election results approaches on May 4, politics in the state is heating up every passing minute, with top rivals the Trinamool Congress and the BJP employing all measures at their disposal to have the upper hand. In the latest move, the BJP has moved the Sub-Divisional Officer in Bhidhannagar, complaining that at least 10 instances of strongroom opening before schedule in an alleged violation of norms.

BJP leader Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay claimed that multiple strongrooms were opened without authorisation, a day after the ruling TMC raised similar concerns over surveillance lapses.

The saffron party has alleged that at least 10 instances of premature opening occurred before designated observers and party representatives reached the sites, intensifying political tensions ahead of counting day.

Mukhopadhyay detailed the party’s objections at a strongroom in Kolkata’s Bidhannagar, stating, "We have a strongroom here, and we were given a schedule specifying when it would be opened. Accordingly, we all arrived on time. After reaching there, we found that the strongroom was already open. It was not being opened at that moment. We questioned why it was opened so early when the work had not properly begun".

"Later, after inquiries, we were informed that this strongroom had been opened not once or twice, but at least ten times before. Our assigned work here, specifically for booths 116 and 117, had only just been completed in terms of segregation and postal ballots," he alleged, adding that his team received no satisfactory answers when they asked as to who had authorised the opening and why they were not informed.

The BJP has since lodged a formal complaint with the SDO in Bidhannagar, seeking clarification on the alleged breaches.

According to information, six officials have been suspended in connection with the incident, though there has been no detailed official explanation yet on the nature of the violations.

TMC ALLEGED SURVEILLANCE DISRUPTION

These allegations come close on the heels of the TMC flagging concerns over disruptions in CCTV surveillance at multiple strongroom locations across the state.

In its complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, the TMC claimed that intermittent camera failures compromised the mandated round-the-clock monitoring of strongrooms where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT units are stored.

The party termed the issue a serious breach of Election Commission guidelines and demanded access to uninterrupted footage and system logs.

The controversy had escalated further when senior bhabanipur-strongroom-after-three-hour-vigil-2904036-2026-05-01?utm_source=global-search&utm_medium=global-search&utm_campaign=global-search" target="_blank">TMC leaders staged protests outside a strongroom facility in Kolkata, alleging irregularities in monitoring and possible mishandling of election materials.

The situation led to heightened tensions between rival party workers and prompted a late-night visit by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to a counting centre, where she voiced concerns about potential tampering.

However, election authorities have consistently rejected claims of malpractice.

The Chief Electoral Officer has maintained that all procedures, including postal ballot segregation, are being conducted as per established norms and that strongrooms remain secure under continuous surveillance.

Officials have described earlier allegations as misunderstandings or misinterpretations of routine processes.

With voter turnout reaching a record high of over 92 percent across two phases, scrutiny of the handling of EVMs and related materials has intensified.

Security has been tightened across counting centres, with police and central forces deployed to maintain strict vigil.

As competing allegations from both the BJP and TMC continue to surface, the focus now shifts to the Election Commission’s response and any further action it may take.

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With PTI inputs