West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, alleging large-scale irregularities in the Assembly election process and claiming her party had been unfairly defeated in several constituencies.
Setting the tone for what could become a prolonged political confrontation, Banerjee said the outcome did not reflect a “moral victory” and accused authorities of failing to ensure a level playing field during counting and polling.
“More than 100 seats, the BJP looted. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back,” she said.
The Chief Minister also claimed that TMC representatives were prevented from accessing counting centres and that serious lapses occurred during the process.
“From 3 pm onwards, they have been beating us. I was hit. CCTV was switched off. None of our agents was allowed inside (the counting centre). The DO assured me our agents would be allowed, but after that, he was not available anywhere. I complained everywhere,” Banerjee said.
Her remarks come after results indicated that the TMC had lost ground in several key seats, prompting immediate questions from the party over the conduct of the election.
According to the latest Election Commission data, the BJP is leading or has won over 200 seats in the 293-member Assembly, putting it well past the majority mark, while the TMC is trailing significantly.
In the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency, Banerjee is holding a narrow lead of 3,830 votes over BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari after 14 rounds of counting, having polled 48,671 votes so far.
Despite the setback, Banerjee struck a defiant note, asserting that the party would recover from the losses.
“We will bounce back,” she said, reiterating her charge that the outcome was influenced by actions of the Election Commission and central authorities.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP’s performance, thanking voters and party workers, and said the results reflected public trust in the party’s leadership and governance.
The allegations are likely to intensify political tensions in the state as the results continue to be analysed and contested by the ruling party.