Malda administration has finally recovered three sealed ballot boxes, which had gone missing on 8 July after the end of three-tier panchayat elections, as per the records of strong room in Gazole.

Authorities of Hazi Naku Mahammadia Higher Secondary School in Gazole found the ballot boxes in a locked room of the school, where receiving centre for polled ballot boxes, strong room and counting centre were set up.

The recovery of the ballot boxes, meant for Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad elections, held at polling booth no 83 in Jibanpur Primary School premises, under Salaidanga Gram Panchayat in Gazole Block, spread sensation across the district on Tuesday.

BJP activists under the leadership of Malda (North) MP Khagen Murmu staged a protest demonstration in front of the office of Gazole Block Development Officer.

They locked the gate and hung black roses and a packet of sweets. Apprehending trouble, block officials allegedly left the office for sometime after the BJP activists blocked a road there for half an hour.

Notably, the activists staged a dharna in front of the strong room on the issue of missing ballot boxes on 9 July morning.

Malda district magistrate Nitin Singhania, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said: “Re-polling was conducted since ballot boxes were missing. So, the present issue has no relevance to those ballot boxes.”

The re-polling was conducted on 9 July.

Official sources said that the Gazole block development officer had to lodge a complaint with the police after three ballot boxes went missing from the receiving centre to the strong room.

According to school authorities, a group of men engaged in cleaning school rooms found the three sealed ballot boxes in a room, which was locked.

 “Even the keys of the locks were not available over the past few days. Finally, they broke open the room and found sealed ballot boxes,” said headmaster of the school Nanigopal Barman.

The school authorities immediately informed about the recovery to the BDO and other concerned departments.

Malda (North) MP Khagen Murmu said, “Today’s incident has established that our complaint was correct. It is a tip of the iceberg. Trinamul Congress rigged huge votes and conducted ‘chhappa vote’ in polling stations, on the way to receiving centre, in strong rooms and even during counting in association with Gazole Block officials.”

 “BDO will be held responsible for rigging (chhapa) vote and missing ballot boxes,” he said, adding, “Commission had to conduct re-polling following our protests but we didn’t have information about re-polling. On the day of re-polling TMC activists conducted another chhapa vote there killing democratic rights of the people.”

The BJP media cell has collected videos of the recovery of ballot boxes today. All videos will be submitted before the High Court, party sources said.