Kamal Ghorui
Actor and former MLA Chiranjit Chakraborty was unable to cast his vote after an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunction disrupted polling at Charuchandra College, amid the high-voltage second phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.The actor arrived at the polling booth early in the morning and stood in line like any other voter. However, his attempt to exercise his democratic right was stalled when the EVM at the booth developed a technical fault, forcing officials to temporarily halt the voting process. With the machine non-functional, the actor-politician had to leave the polling centre without casting his vote.Unfazed by the disruption, Chakraborty struck a calm and composed note while speaking to the media outside the booth. According to him mechanical glitches are common and it’s nothing unusual. Adding to that his background as an engineering student gave him an understanding of such issues. He said that if a machine breaks down, it obviously takes some time to fix. He will come back and vote again as it is his responsibility to vote as a citizen and his duty towards the country.Although he left the polling station without voting, Chakraborty made it clear that the delay was only temporary. He said that he’ll rest for a bit and return to the line, reiterating that a technical snag may slow the process, but it cannot dampen a voter’s resolve.The actor is not contesting the 2026 elections, having personally requested relief from electoral duties due to age-related reasons.
