West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: EC Declares Zero Tolerance for EVM Tampering

Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, issued an unmistakable directive to ensure the integrity of the polling process for the final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 – as several political groups reported numerous complaints about how the election was conducted in the state.

The EC will consider voiding ballots in certain precincts in light of the complaints received from political parties. The CEO has stated that, if the technical audits performed on-site substantiate the allegations made against the voting machines, the EC will order a repolling of a voting location.

Official Protocol on Proven EVM Tampering

In its guidelines on tampering with election equipment, the EC has stated that any physical and/or virtual tampering with the voting equipment constitutes a criminal offence. The CEO has indicated that, in light of the evidence of tampering of voting machines, all results from that voting machine will not count in order to keep the integrity of the ballots intact.

District officials have been ordered to maintain custody of the VVPAT receipts and control units for forensic testing of evidence in cases of disputes. The CEO has stated that he will rather conduct a fresh poll than allow a result that has been tainted by fraud. This protocol will also serve as the EC’s principal means to detect and prevent election fraud.

Zero Tolerance Policy and Repoll Criteria

If the “security of the ballot” in any manner has been compromised, a repoll is mandated and is not optional under any circumstances. The Chief Executive Officer stated that if there is any evidence of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines – for example, if the buttons on the machine were blocked or if the machine display had been damaged – then that particular polling station will immediately cease counting the votes at that polling station.

The Commission has sent out Special Observers to review total booth activity via the tapes and video systems from the most sensitive polling stations. If any evidence of tampering is noted, then the local officials will immediately be suspended and the schedule for the new voting date will also be announced.

As the process of counting votes for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 comes closer to completion, the Chief Executive Officer has assured everyone there that every vote will be counted with total integrity. Also, the threat of a repoll will provide significant disincentives to those considering tampering with EVMs in order to change the final results.

The Commission is now finalizing the review of complaints that have been received; should it be discovered that any tampering with EVMs has occurred after the conclusion of the last review, the EC will inform the public of the repoll schedule within 24 hours of the completion of the final review. The citizens of India are awaiting the final verdict of the people under a high level of security.