Tension escalated at the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre in central Kolkata during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections as Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest. They alleged that electronic voting machines (EVMs) were tampered with, claiming that CCTV footage showed outsiders tampering with ballot papers inside the strong rooms. In response, the Election Commission dismissed these allegations, stating that poll officials were merely segregating postal ballots and that the strong rooms were secure. TMC leader Mamata Banerjee arrived at the counting centre to voice her concerns over potential electoral malpractice. Furthermore, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a challenge to the Election Commission's directive to deploy central government and public sector employees for the vote counting process, affirming the integrity of the electoral procedure.