‘EVMs must be checked properly’: Mamata Banerjee slams BJP, ECI ahead of West Bengal elections

WEst Bengal chief government minister Mamata Banerjee on dominicus targeted the Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) and the Election charge of republic of india (ECI), voicing apprehension that efforts might be made in the upcoming assembly elections to hack electronic voting machines (EVMs) and disqualify Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates citing technical reasons.“The EVMs must be checked properly. Ask for VVPAT when you cast your vote. If an EVM malfunctions, don’t let them repair it. Demand its replacement,” the TMC chief said at a rally in Murshidabad’s Samserganj, which was the epicentre of violence during the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the district in April 2025.The West Bengal elections will be held on April 23 and 29, with counting on May 4 alongside four other states.ALSO READ | PM Modi targets TMC over ‘maha jungle raj’, Mamata calls for ‘revenge’ over SIR deletions“There will be several days between voting and counting. Ensure that Central (paramilitary) forces guarding the EVMs do not tamper with them. There is nothing they are not capable of doing. Maintain round-the-clock vigilance,” Banerjee said.Reacting to the chief minister’s allegation about EVM hacking, Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said, “Having realised that she won’t return to power, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has started working on all possible excuses for defeat at the hands of the masses.”ALSO READ | Malda hostage culprits fled, youths harassed by NIA: Mamata BanerjeeCriticising the deletion of names during the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the state, the chief minister said, “Use your democratic power. Cast your votes to take revenge for deletion of people’s names, and against the SIR so that the results reflect that.”Banerjee further urged people whose names have been deleted during the SIR process to move appeals before the tribunal.Cautioning TMC candidates, she claimed, “Be careful while filing nomination papers. Take lawyers with you. Check the papers carefully. BJP has made all sorts of plans to get nomination papers rejected. Hand-picked officials have been deployed to reject nominations citing technical grounds.”Banerjee further alleged that the BJP is “bringing paid supporters” from other states to influence the poll verdict.ALSO READ | Were you sleeping so far, asks Mamata after ED grills Trinamool candidate, summons 2 more ahead of Bengal polls“BJP is not just bringing in voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are bringing in crowds of paid supporters from those states,” the TMC chief added.Murshidabad district has Bengal’s highest Muslim population of 66.28%, according to the 2011 census, followed by the adjacent Malda district (51.27%).Banerjee also led a roadshow at Berhampore, where former Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting an assembly seat after 30 years.Hours before chief minister Banerjee’s arrival, TMC workers in Berhampore town allegedly blocked the route of Chowdhury’s campaign and shouted slogans for the third consecutive day on Sunday.“Mamata Banerjee is leading a roadshow in Berhampore because TMC knows that it is going to face a tough time. I will counter every move they make,” said Chowdhury, who lost his Berhampore Lok Sabha seat to TMC’s Yusuf Pathan in 2024.with agency inputs