West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee today expressed concerns about potential electoral manipulation by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a rally in Farakka, Bengal, and questioned the “sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75 per cent from what was declared earlier”
She highlighted the “disappearance of several Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)”, raising suspicions of foul play in the electoral process. “The sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75 per cent from what the Election Commission had released earlier is worrying. There are apprehensions of manipulation of results by the BJP as several EVMs were missing for a long period,” said Mamata.
She also criticised the Election Commission for what she deemed as a delay in the final voter turnout figures for the initial two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. She expressed particular concern over the sudden surge in polling percentages during those phases.
The Election Commission had released the voter turnout data of the first two phases of polling, held on April 19 and April 26, on Tuesday evening. According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first phase and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehensions about potential manipulation of results by the BJP, citing the prolonged absence of several EVMs.
Banerjee emphasised that the abrupt rise in the poll percentage is not just disturbing but also raises serious doubts about the credibility of EVMs. She urged the Election Commission to disclose details of EVM makers, alleging that the BJP might resort to any means to secure victory.
In her election meeting, Mamata Banerjee also accused the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of being “hand-in-glove with the BJP.”
She said the connection was clear since neither BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had not mentioned Adhir Chowdhury by name in their rallies in West Bengal.
“The people should get ensnared by the BJP’s plans and plots. Our leaders get harassed every single day, but the Opposition leader in Murshidabad (Chowdhury) is accorded utmost respect,” she alleged. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had spared Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in his attack on political opponents at an election rally in Baharampur on Tuesday, while two days earlier, BJP’s national president J.P. Nadda had also refrained from speaking against Chowdhury.
Yogi Adityanath had launched a brutal onslaught on issues such as Sandeshkhali and the Trinamool Congress’ atrocities and corruption.
She demanded answers on why the likes of Chowdhury and others in the State unit of his party did not endorse the movement led by her party and Government against the alleged economic blockade of Bengal by the BJP-led Centre and accused them of secretly working in the saffron camp’s favour.
“Is he really a Congressman? Is he truly anti-BJP?” she asked. “This is why they help the BJP out in implementing all their malicious intentions, in every possible way.”
“But we, as you know, are not like this. We formed the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and will take full responsibility for bringing it to power at the Centre,” said the Bengal Chief Minister, whose party’s manifesto contains commitments to the people that would be fulfilled by an I.N.D.I.A.-led Government at the Centre.
On cue, the Trinamool Congress party also took up a concerted campaign against Adhir Chowdhury.
“After acting as the eyes & ears of @BJP4India in Bengal, @adhirrcinc has now been promoted to be the voice of the BJP in Bengal. Listen to how the B-Team member is openly asking people to vote for the BJP – a party that REFUSED to release Bengal’s rightful due & deprived our people of their rights.
Only a Bangla-Birodhi can campaign for the BJP, which has repeatedly insulted Bengal’s icons. On May 13, people of Baharampur will give a befitting response to this betrayal!” the party posted on X.
Saket Gokhale, Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP, too posted on X: “Finally – from the B-team horse’s mouth! Congress Bengal chief @adhirrcinc publicly asks people in his rally to vote for the BJP & not the TMC. While Mamata Banerjee fights against the full might of Modi+Central Agencies machinery, Bengal Congress is openly asking votes for the BJP. In Bengal, TMC is INDIA taking on BJP. Meanwhile, Congress & CPM have chosen to become Modi’s loyal soldiers. This is disgusting & beyond shameless.”