The BJP leader on Monday claimed on X, “Nearly 50 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. More than 2 lakh Hindus were not allowed to vote in the four by-polls held in the state.”

“Democracy is dead in Bengal. We have started a mass movement today… Whoever was not allowed to vote can register themselves, and full secrecy will be ensured. I will also start a legal battle,” he added.

Meanwhile, state minister and TMC leader Firhad Hakim said that the BJP is “now frustrated after the repeated rejection of the people of West Bengal”. He said, “They are now searching for excuses. Instead of doing such rubbish things, they should face reality.”

On July 10, bypolls were held in four assembly constituencies of West Bengal: Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagdah and Maniktala. All four seats were won by TMC with a comfortable margin, leaving the BJP in a distant second position.

In three of the four Assembly seats — Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagdah — the bypolls were necessitated after the sitting MLAs resigned from their posts to file nominations for the Lok Sabha elections this year. All three had left the BJP for the TMC soon after they won in the 2021 assembly elections.

In Maniktala’s Lok Sabha election, the BJP lost to the TMC leader and then-minister Sadhan Pandey. After his death, this seat became vacant. In the last Lok Sabha election, TMC was ahead only by around 3500 votes. However, in the assembly bypoll, TMC got a lead of more than 60,000 votes.