Bengal Polls: Mamata Banerjee Cries 'Loot, Loot, Loot' After BJP’s Massive Win

A political storm erupted in West Bengal as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sharply criticised the election outcome, attributing the Trinamool Congress’s setback to alleged malpractice and declaring that her party would “bounce back.”

Addressing reporters amid tight security, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of bias, referring to it as the “BJP Commission,” after trends showed the Bharatiya Janata Party surging ahead while her party lagged behind.

The BJP registered a sweeping performance in the state, winning 137 seats and leading in 71, marking a significant breakthrough in a region long seen as difficult terrain for the party.

“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 added.

Is Mamata Banerjee Losing Ground in Bhabhanipur Against Suvendu Adhikari?

In Bhabhanipur, Banerjee’s own electoral battle appeared precarious.

After 16 rounds of counting, she was trailing by 554 votes to Suvendu Adhikari, her former aide turned political rival.

Adhikari, who had defeated Banerjee in Nandigram during the 2021 elections, is contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabhanipur this time.

Fresh controversy also emerged from Balurghat, where Trinamool candidate Arpita Ghosh alleged a technical glitch in the voting machine. She pointed to discrepancies in battery charge levels between polling day and counting day.

“The result coming in Balurghat is due to a technical glitch. On the day of voting, when polling started, the machine had 98% charge, but after polling throughout the day, it dropped slightly below 70%. But today, when the same machine arrived here for counting, it shows 92-95% charge,” Ghosh told ANI.

Ghosh said a formal complaint had been submitted to the Returning Officer and warned of legal recourse if no action was taken.

“We have given a letter to the RO. If they do not take any steps on this, we will go to court,” she said, expressing dissatisfaction with the Election Commission’s response.

Despite the allegations, BJP candidate Bidyut Kumar Roy secured a decisive victory in Balurghat, defeating Ghosh by a margin of 47,576 votes.

Meanwhile, tensions spilled onto the streets in Cooch Behar, where Dinhata Town Block Trinamool president Bishu Dhar was allegedly attacked by BJP workers and supporters after he exited a counting centre, underscoring the charged atmosphere surrounding the results.

(With inputs from ANI)