Bharatiya Janata Party MP Saumitra Khan urged the Election Commission of India to intervene, alleging a breach of a strongroom in Bishnupur Constituency and suggesting possible tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) involving local police. Representing Bishnupur Lok Sabha since 2014, Khan expressed his concerns in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
He pointed out that state police officials were found within the innermost perimeter of the strongroom, contrary to the guidelines which mandate Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel only in that area. Khan questioned how these officials gained access and highlighted the absence of Central Force Incharge AK Saha, alongside lax security measures at the main gates.
Khan alleged that the local police were tampering with CCTV footage, potentially creating blind spots to replace genuine EVMs with falsified ones. He emphasized the need for additional forces to ensure proper security and proposed strict access control measures.
Following the conclusion of voting, EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) are stored in designated strongrooms. Khan urged the implementation of a stringent access system and demanded accountability for the involved officers.
Saumitra Khan, a two-time MP from Bishnupur, faces opposition from TMC’s Sujata Mondal, his former wife, in the ongoing elections across 42 seats in West Bengal, with vote counting slated for June 4th.
