Kolkata, April 29: Fresh allegations of systematic poll malpractice have emerged from Panihati, North 24 Parganas, after another polling booth in the same constituency was found with the BJP symbol’s button on the Electronic Voting Machine blocked using tape — the second such incident reported from the seat within hours on Wednesday, the voting day for the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.

The latest incident follows an earlier case at a different booth in Panihati where a blob of ink was found smeared over the BJP button on the EVM, rendering it illegible for voters. In that case, the ink was removed using sanitiser after objections were raised, but voters were made to wait for over an hour before polling resumed. The tape-blocking incident suggests a pattern rather than an isolated act, and has triggered immediate cries of organised rigging from BJP workers and supporters in the constituency.

Panihati is among the most closely watched constituencies of this election cycle. The BJP has fielded Ratna Debnath — mother of the victim in the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case — as its candidate, pitting her against TMC’s Tirthankar Ghosh and CPI(M)’s Kalatan Dasgupta. Debnath had already alleged earlier in the day that TMC workers attacked her with ‘go back’ slogans and that police refused to register her complaint. The two EVM tampering incidents at booths within her constituency have significantly sharpened those allegations.

The Election Commission of India had deployed 2,321 companies of central forces across seven districts for Phase 2, with extensive surveillance infrastructure including drones, general observers, police observers, and expenditure observers. The National Investigation Agency has also been deployed for the first time during these elections to respond to serious security incidents. Despite this, the back-to-back EVM obstruction incidents in a single high-profile constituency raise serious questions about the effectiveness of on-ground monitoring at the booth level.

The Trinamool Congress is yet to respond specifically to the tape-blocking allegation. The BJP is expected to file a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding both incidents in Panihati. Overall voter turnout across 142 constituencies in Phase 2 crossed 61 per cent by 1 PM. Votes for both phases of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 will be counted on May 2.

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