Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: As West Bengal awaits the results to be declared tomorrow, chaos erupted near the Asansol Engineering College strong room premises after a switched-off mobile phone was found in an envelope.Along with the mobile phone, several documents linked to the Raniganj assembly constituency were also recovered, triggering suspicion and a brief commotion at the site. A BJP leader alleged that officers were acting in favour of the TMC and raised concerns over possible irregularities.Claiming that an individual attempted to enter the premises with the phone, the BJP leader said, “Someone was trying to enter here with a mobile phone. Our men caught him. Mobile phones are forbidden. I don’t know what the police are doing. A mobile phone was being taken inside, so we stopped it, and that’s why we’re standing here. We won’t allow any unethical act here. All the officers are of TMC.”The incident comes amid heavy security deployment outside strong rooms across the state to prevent clashes and ensure the safety of EVMs ahead of counting day.West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said that all arrangements have been made in accordance with Election Commission guidelines, with a three-tier security system in place involving central forces, local police and state police. He also warned that strict action would be taken against any negligence.The development comes against the backdrop of a tense election cycle in the state, marked by allegations of violence, voter intimidation and irregularities during polling. Incidents of clashes and vandalism were reported from several areas, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar.In a significant move, the Election Commission ordered fresh polling in the entire Falta assembly constituency, citing ‘severe electoral offences’ and subversion of the democratic process during the April 29 voting phase. Repolling was also conducted in select booths in South 24 Parganas under tight security, with authorities aiming to restore confidence in the electoral process.West Bengal assembly elections was conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The results of the high-stakes election will be declared on May 4.
