BJP to form govt in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee lost in Bhabanipur
As the Trinamool Congress (TMC) trailed behind the BJP through the day in West Bengal, the final nail came as the day ended — party chief and outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost to the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by over 15,000 votes in Bhabanipur.
Speaking to reporters outside the counting centre, Banerjee alleged that the BJP had “looted more than 100 seats”, adding that it was an “immoral” and “illegal” victory.
“BJP looted more than 100 seats. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission,” she said, adding that she had complained to the chief electoral officer, but no action was taken.
“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, the Prime Minister and Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back,” she said.
While Banerjee led in the earlier rounds of counting, her final tally was 58,812 votes. Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, bagged 73,917 votes.
Banerjee reached the counting centre at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School at about 3.45 pm, and spent over four hours there.
She alleged irregularities at the counting centre, and claimed that she was physically attacked. She also claimed that CCTV cameras were switched off and her party’s agents were not permitted inside the centre.
“With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing our party workers. Our offices have been vandalised and forcefully captured. The SIR was done to target seats where we were strong… The Election Commission is doing whatever it wishes, with the help of the central forces. The state police is dancing to the tune of the central forces,” she said earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Adhikari dedicated his Bhabanipur victory to “party workers and those who gave their lives for the party and Hindutva”. “Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Bengalis, people from Rajasthan all voted for me. Muslims voted for Mamata Banerjee. Ten thousand CPI(M) supporters also voted for me. I thank all of them,” he said.
In 2021, too, Adhikari had defeated Banerjee from Nandigram by 1,956 votes. Banerjee had then won the Bhabanipur seat in a bypoll the same year. On Monday, Adhikari won the Nandigram seat also.