TMC raises alarm over glitch in CCTV camera of Strng Room in Cooch Behar

MP, Apr 27, 2026, Cooch Behar : Political tensions continue to run high in Cooch Behar district even after the completion of the first phase of the state Assembly elections, with fresh allegations from both the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The TMC has once again raised concerns over an alleged malfunction of a CCTV camera in the strong room at Cooch Behar Polytechnic College, where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are stored.

Partha Pratim Roy, TMC candidate for the Cooch Behar North Assembly constituency, alleged that a camera in the strong room went non-functional for several minutes.

Roy visited the strong room on Sunday to inspect the situation and met the District Election Officer and District Magistrate Jitin Yadav. During the visit, he was also involved in a brief altercation with a BJP worker.

Speaking to reporters, Roy claimed that the camera “went black for nearly seven minutes after midnight on Saturday,” terming the incident “highly suspicious.”

He also alleged irregularities in the functioning of the agency responsible for surveillance and demanded a detailed report.

Responding to the allegations, Yadav said a two-tier CCTV surveillance system is in place.

“One layer covers the area monitored by central forces, while the other covers the space where candidates’ representatives are stationed. We received a complaint that an outer camera was down briefly. The internal cameras were checked and found to be functioning properly. The footage will be shared with political parties,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Dinhata, BJP candidate Ajay Roy has been accused of verbally abusing TMC councillor Sabir Saha Chowdhury during a local dispute on Saturday night.

Chowdhury alleged that Roy used abusive language and issued threats.

Ajay Roy, however, denied the allegations, claiming he had gone to the spot after receiving information that a family was being threatened by a Trinamool councillor for supporting the BJP.