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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has responded to allegations made by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the Bankura district of West Bengal bore tags of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had shared two pictures on social media showing EVMs with paper tags that read "BJP". The party claimed that this was an attempt by the BJP to rig the ongoing general elections.
Responding to the allegations, the ECI stated that the tags were part of the standard commissioning process and that the BJP candidate's representative was the only one present at the time of commissioning. The ECI also clarified that all ECI norms were followed, and the process was carried out under CCTV surveillance and videography.
The ECI's response comes as eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal are going to the polls in the sixth phase of the general election. The BJP, which won 18 seats in the state in the 2019 elections, is looking to increase its tally this time.
The TMC, on the other hand, is hoping to regain some of the seats it lost to the BJP in the previous election. Key candidates in these eight seats include fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and Trinamool's Debangshu Bhattacharya, who is known for penning the party's campaign song "Khela Hobe".
Source: Trinamool Alleges "BJP Tag" On EVMs In Bengal. Election Commission Replies