Overview
- Mamata Banerjee, who visited a Kolkata strongroom late Thursday, told Trinamool workers to stay by counting centers and warned of possible EVM swaps.
- Trinamool candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja held a sit-in outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium complex, alleging ballot boxes were opened without required party observers.
- The Election Commission rejected tampering claims and said CCTV clips showed authorised sorting of postal ballots in a separate area, not access to sealed EVM rooms.
- Most exit polls forecast a BJP lead in West Bengal, though two surveys predict a TMC return, and key pollster Axis My India withheld Bengal figures citing a roughly 70% refusal rate that could skew results.
- The Calcutta High Court dismissed two Trinamool petitions on counting arrangements on Friday, and the state heads to counting on May 4 after turnout of about 92% across two phases.