West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inspected the electronic voting machine (EVM) strong room in the Bhabanipur constituency late Friday night [1].

The visit follows allegations from the Chief Minister's party that ballot boxes were opened without the presence of authorized personnel. This incident raises concerns regarding the integrity of the voting machines ahead of the official vote-counting scheduled for May 4 [1], [2].

Banerjee arrived at the facility in South Kolkata around midnight [2]. She spent nearly four hours in the strong room monitoring the security of the machines [2]. The late-night inspection occurred as tensions rose over the security protocols governing the stored ballots.

During the visit, Banerjee addressed the possibility of interference in the electoral results. "Any plan to tamper with the counting process will not be tolerated," Banerjee said [2].

The Chief Minister's party alleged that the unauthorized opening of ballot boxes compromised the transparency of the election process. By personally visiting the site, Banerjee aimed to ensure that the machines remained secure until the scheduled count [1].

Election officials in the Bhabanipur constituency are now under scrutiny regarding the timeline of when the boxes were accessed and who was present during those intervals. The strong room remains under high security as the region prepares for the May 4 results [1], [2].

“"Any plan to tamper with the counting process will not be tolerated."”

The direct intervention by a sitting Chief Minister in the security of a strong room underscores a deep lack of trust between the ruling party and election administrators. Such high-profile disputes over EVM integrity often precede legal challenges or widespread public protests if the final results are contested, potentially destabilizing the local political climate before the May 4 count.