Kolkata (West bengal) [India], May 1 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Thursday reiterated that EVMs strong rooms are 'safe and secure' in response to TMC allegations that there was tampering with EVMs, asserting that there is no 'controversy' in the incident.

It comes after the TMC alleged that the BJP 'in active collusion' with the Election Commission, 'is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders'.

'No CCTV was turned off. CCTV footage of all 8 strong rooms there, 7 of EVMs and 1 of the postal ballot, is being telecast. Political parties' people can sit beyond the three-layer security and see this. They saw some movement around 4 pm when our staff was opening the postal ballot room as per the rules. As per the rule, all political parties were informed, and all candidates were informed by the RO (Returning Officer). They should have come here...After 4 pm, 3 candidates had come, and they saw everything that the EVMs' strong rooms were sealed while the postal ballot's strong room was open. The 3 then left,' Agarwal told ANI.

'There will be no law and order situation. These things happen. The law and order situation is fine. Counting will be 100% neat and clean just like the elections were,' he added.

Agarwal asserted that the poll body has 'nothing to hide', stressing that they would not allow any 'trouble' to take place in the polling procedures.

In an apparent reference to the video posted by Trinamool Congress on its X handle, the officials said that all strong rooms containing polled EVMs are safely secured and sealed. They noted that there was routine segregation of postal ballots.

On TMC claiming elderly man died after assault by central forces in Howrah, State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal says, 'This was an 82-year-old man who had come to vote along with his son. He was unwell, but he still insisted on going to the booth to vote. He entered the booth and walked to the EVM. When he came out after voting, he collapsed. No paramilitary force remains present inside the booth. There is CCTV footage and a statement of the Presiding Officer and everyone else.'

Earlier, senior TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh immediately held a dharna outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

'You can watch the livestreaming and CCTV camera of the Election Commission, where a few people are working inside. None of our representatives is inside...They are not letting us in. There is no transparency. They (BJP) are sending their people inside the strong room and tampering with the postal ballots. Shashi Panja and I are sitting on a protest. The party will take further action regarding this incident,' Ghosh said.

The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)