Mamata Banerjee Visits Kolkata Counting Centre, Alleges ‘Unfair Play’ by EC

As results of counting of votes by the Election Commission trickled in West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress candidate from Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee, visited the Sakhawat Memorial counting hall in Kolkata.

She claimed that counting had been halted at several places and accused the Election Commission of India and central forces of acting unfairly.

BJP candidates were declared winners in four constituencies -Kalipong, Monteswar, Bhatar and Asansol (Dakshin) and were projected as leading in 195 seats in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Mamata Banerjee is continuing to maintain a strong lead in the Bhabanipur assembly seat over BJP's Suvendu Adhikari after the completion of 12 rounds of counting.

As the BJP crossed the halfway mark in the 294-member assembly as per early leads, the Chief Minister, in a self-made video, urged counting agents of her party not to leave counting venues.

What did Mamata Banerjee say about halted counting and BJP’s lead?

"Do not lose hearts, we will win after sundown," she said.

"We are ahead by more than 100 seats, which is not being reported. Everything is being reported wrong. The Election Commission is working entirely as per its own will, and central forces are also with them. The police are also working with the central forces," Mamata Banerjee alleged.

She also alleged that counting has been halted at many places as a tactic to benefit the BJP.

“They have stopped counting at many places. Such machines have been found in Kalyani, where there is no match; atrocities are being committed against TMC from all sides through central forces," CM Banerjee added.

How did Smriti Irani react to West Bengal election trends?

However, if the current counting trends in West Bengal persist, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to comfortably cross the halfway mark of 147 seats and emerge as the single largest party in West Bengal.

This will increase the states governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to 21.

Former Union Minister Smriti Irani criticised the INDIA bloc, calling it a "failed experiment" that lacked both ideology and leadership.

Irani singled out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing them of failing to unite their alliance and losing touch with the electorate.

"The election results in West Bengal have exposed the true face of the so-called INDI alliance... no ideology, no leadership, and no trust! This is nothing but a failed experiment for the sake of power," Irani posted on X.

(With inputs from ANI)