A mobile phone, switched off, was found inside an envelope near the EVM strong room at Asansol Engineering College on May 3, just one day before the results of the West Bengal assembly elections are scheduled to be declared. Alongside the phone, election-related documents from the Raniganj assembly constituency were recovered, prompting immediate suspicion and a brief commotion at the site. The discovery occurred amid a heavily guarded environment, with central and state forces deployed to secure strong rooms across the state.

BJP observers at the site alleged attempted electoral manipulation, claiming they intercepted an individual trying to enter the premises with the phone. 'Mobile phones are strictly prohibited here. We stopped it because we won’t allow any unethical act,' said a BJP leader, who further asserted, 'All the officers are of TMC,' suggesting systemic bias in the administration. While no tampering was detected, the mere presence of an unauthorized electronic device violates Election Commission protocols, which bar all such items from strong room perimeters.

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal confirmed that a three-tier security arrangement—comprising central paramilitary forces, state police, and local law enforcement—is in place across all strong rooms. He emphasized that all procedures are being followed as per EC guidelines and warned that any lapse or negligence would invite strict disciplinary action. The EC has previously demonstrated zero tolerance, having ordered a complete repoll in Falta assembly constituency after documented cases of polling irregularities and voter intimidation on April 29.

This incident unfolds against a broader backdrop of electoral volatility in West Bengal, where the 2026 assembly polls witnessed multiple allegations of violence, booth capturing, and procedural breaches in constituencies like Chapra, Shantipur, and Bhangar. With results expected to be closely contested, especially in the industrial belt of Paschim Bardhaman where Asansol is located, any procedural anomaly is likely to be weaponized politically. The EC’s credibility will hinge not only on the integrity of the count but on its ability to investigate and respond transparently to such incidents, preserving public trust in the democratic process.