BJP MP Saumitra Khan dismissed a TMC sit-in protest over alleged EVM tampering in Kolkata as "drama," stating Mamata Banerjee's party has lost. Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer has reiterated that the strong rooms are safe and secure.
As TMC leaders held a sit-in protest on Thursday in front of the strong room outside Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, BJP MP Saumitra Khan said that drama by the ruling party here will continue till the counting day.
He claimed that people have not voted for TMC, and Mamata Banerjee's party will have to accept the mandate. "Ex-Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost against Suvendu Adhikari, and TMC is certainly wiped out of West Bengal. The public did not vote for the TMC. You will see this drama for 2-3 days. They (TMC) think they can capture EVM by hook or by crook, just like they did in 2021. But the public and EC will not accept this. They (TMC) will have to accept the mandate. Mamata Banerjee is now the ex-Chief Minister and Suvendu Adhikari has defeated her," Khan said.
EVMs 'safe and secure': Chief Electoral Officer
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Thursday reiterated that EVMs strong rooms are "safe and secure" in response to TMC allegations that there was tampering with EVMs, asserting that there is no "controversy" in the incident.
TMC Alleges Tampering, Holds Dharna
It comes after the TMC alleged that the BJP "in active collusion" with the Election Commission, "is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders". Earlier, senior TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh immediately held a dharna outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
"You can watch the livestreaming and CCTV camera of the Election Commission, where a few people are working inside. None of our representatives is inside...They are not letting us in. There is no transparency. They (BJP) are sending their people inside the strong room and tampering with the postal ballots. Shashi Panja and I are sitting on a protest. The party will take further action regarding this incident," Ghosh said.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)