A major fire at a government building in Alipore, Kolkata, has destroyed around 4,000 electronic voting machines and VVPAT units, triggering a political storm in West Bengal and raising questions about possible sabotage. The blaze broke out in the ten-storey South 24 Parganas district council building, where the election office stored the machines on the eighth and ninth floors. According to officials, the EVMs had been used in voting across 10 assembly constituencies in the recent state elections.
The incident has become highly controversial because it comes amid an already heated dispute over the West Bengal election results. The ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged irregularities in the vote count and has now framed the fire as a potentially serious attempt to destroy evidence. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asked whether the fire was simply an accident or part of a planned effort to remove key material after alleged interference in democracy. Trinamool leaders have repeatedly demanded accountability from the Election Commission.
State Fire and Disaster Management Minister Kaushik Choudhury visited the site and said the fire appeared unusual. He noted that the initial signs of fire were seen on the second and third floors, after which it spread upward to the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth floors. He questioned how the blaze moved past the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors without causing major damage there, suggesting that investigators must consider whether there was any conspiracy behind the incident. He also said the government is awaiting forensic findings before reaching any conclusion.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed by Kolkata Police, and forensic experts have collected evidence from the scene on two consecutive days. Police officials have said that the exact cause of the fire will be known only after the investigation is complete. At this stage, it remains unclear whether the blaze was caused by a short circuit, accidental negligence, or deliberate sabotage. A case has been registered at Alipore police station following a complaint from the South 24 Parganas district administration.
Eyewitness accounts describe a frightening scene. One witness told ANI that the fire started around 9:30 a.m. and quickly spread to the third floor, filling the building with smoke and forcing government employees to rush out in panic. Fire engines eventually brought the blaze under control after a difficult operation.
The political reaction has extended beyond the Trinamool Congress. The Congress has also demanded a transparent investigation, while state and central leaders have raised questions over the timing and possible implications of the fire. Analysts say the destruction of the EVMs has intensified suspicion because the machines were being stored in a government office linked to election management. The full damage to other offices in the building is still being assessed.
