Bengal polls: Mamata faces mounting pressure amid exit polls, court setbacks and EVM row

With counting day on May 4 fast approaching, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), are grappling with a series of political, legal and administrative challenges—capped by a night of high drama over EVM security.

Exit polls trigger political storm

The first blow came with exit polls suggesting a strong surge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising the possibility of ending the TMC’s 15-year rule.

Pollsters offered mixed projections: Matrize, P-Marq and Poll Diary pointed to a BJP edge, while People’s Pulse predicted a comfortable TMC return. Banerjee rejected the forecasts, calling them “fabricated” and accusing opponents of attempting to demoralise party workers ahead of counting.

Legal setback in High Court

The TMC also faced a setback in the Calcutta High Court, which dismissed two petitions related to counting arrangements.

One plea challenged the inclusion of central government and PSU employees as counting staff, but the court found no evidence of bias. Another petition questioning the relocation of a counting centre was also rejected, with the court ruling the move was lawful.

Strongroom standoff escalates tensions

The situation intensified late on April 30 when Banerjee visited an EVM strongroom at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur, remaining there for nearly four hours. She said she acted on complaints and visuals suggesting possible “manipulation,” insisting that any attempt to tamper with votes would not be tolerated.

Earlier in the day, TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra strongroom complex, alleging that CCTV footage showed unauthorised individuals handling ballot materials. The party claimed strongrooms were reopened without prior notice and questioned restricted access for its representatives.

The protests drew a sharp response from BJP leaders, who accused the TMC of creating unrest at a sensitive site. Police in anti-riot gear were deployed as tensions flared between rival supporters.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, contesting against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, said his agents were present to ensure transparency. State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya claimed the developments reflected the ruling party’s anxiety.

EC rejects tampering claims

Amid the escalating row, the Election Commission of India dismissed all allegations of EVM tampering.

Officials clarified that the activity seen in viral footage was part of the authorised segregation of postal ballots in a separate strongroom and not related to EVMs. The process, they said, was conducted as per protocol and with prior information to all parties.

The commission added that it had received thousands of complaints during the election process and was examining them, with repolling to be considered if any violations are confirmed.

Countdown to results

As political rhetoric intensifies and scrutiny over the electoral process grows, all eyes are now on May 4, when the results will determine whether the TMC retains power or the BJP stages a historic breakthrough in West Bengal.