BJP and Trinamool Workers Clash in Kolkata Over Strong Room Feud

Kolkata (IANS): Tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) escalated into a physical confrontation outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium counting centre on Thursday. The clash erupted after Trinamool leaders alleged “suspicious movements” inside a nearby strong room.

The Standoff at Netaji Indoor Stadium

Trinamool candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja sparked the feud by staging a protest at the stadium gates, claiming irregularities at the adjacent Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. The situation intensified when:

• BJP candidates Santosh Pathak and Tapas Roy arrived at the venue and formally objected to the Trinamool gathering.
• Workers from both parties exchanged aggressive slogans, leading to a brief physical scuffle.
• Trinamool leaders demanded the installation of CCTV cameras at the postal ballot strong room and live footage displays for candidate representatives.

Mamata Banerjee Leads Strong Room Vigil

As the feud intensified across the city, Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee took direct action to secure her Bhabanipur constituency’s EVMs.

• Banerjee personally stood guard outside the Shakhawat Memorial strong room for over three hours.
• Following her vigil, she ordered all Trinamool candidates across West Bengal to maintain an all-night watch over strong rooms.
• She instructed her team to arrange food, water, and personnel rotations to ensure a continuous presence until counting begins.

Election Commission’s Response

The Election Commission intervened to de-escalate the clash, denying all allegations of procedural non-compliance. The Commission clarified that officials sealed all strong rooms in the presence of party agents by 5:15 a.m. Thursday, and had previously emailed candidates regarding postal ballot sorting. Both Trinamool and BJP workers withdrew their demonstrations after the Commission provided assurances regarding security measures.