The Kolkata Police have issued a ban on gatherings in at least seven areas as vote counting approaches following allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (leader of the Trinamool Congress party). Banerjee's accusations target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India, claiming collusion to manipulate the electoral process. Her visit to the Bhabanipur strongroom in Kolkata lasted nearly four hours, during which she expressed concerns over potential EVM irregularities, warning of a 'life-and-death' struggle if tampering occurred. In response, the BJP criticized Banerjee's actions as mere theatrics. The Election Commission has firmly rejected these allegations, asserting that all procedures were adhered to and that the strongrooms were secured in the presence of election officials and candidates. Meanwhile, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari stated that strict monitoring is being enforced at the strongroom to prevent any irregularities.