Tensions rose in West Bengal today when reports came in of problems with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during important repolling in the Diamond Harbour and Barasat constituencies. The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered new rounds of voting after reports of widespread “booth capturing” and other problems during the primary phase on April 26. Voting was stopped for a short time at several booths in Diamond Harbour, a high-profile seat currently held by TMC heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee. This happened because VVPAT machines were not showing the right slips, which led to heated arguments between party polling agents and security personnel. Opposition leaders from the BJP and CPIM quickly said that the “glitches” were part of a plan to keep voters away from areas where they were not welcome. The TMC, on the other hand, said that the problems were only technical and were quickly fixed by the presiding officers.
All morning, things stayed unstable, with reports of “unidentified outsiders” gathering near polling places. This meant that more Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies had to be sent out. Even though there were technical problems and fights between workers from different parties, a lot of people still voted, with lines forming as early as 7:00 AM. Election officials said that replacement machines were sent to the areas that needed them within ninety minutes. They also said that the polling window was extended to make up for the lost time. As the state gets ready for this important election, the ongoing mix of technical issues and political violence continues to cast a shadow over the democratic process. Because they know that every valid vote in these repolled booths could change the balance of power in the region for 2026, both the ruling state government and the central opposition are keeping a very close eye on the “Diamond Harbour situation.”
