Kolkata, May 5: The Trinamool Congress has announced plans to mount a legal challenge against the Bhabanipur Assembly seat results, following explosive claims from Mamata Banerjee regarding the conduct of the final counting rounds. The Chief Minister stated that the process was marred by violence and the systematic removal of her party’s counting agents, which allowed for a reversal of her earlier lead.
Banerjee affirmed that the momentum of the count was altered when unauthorized individuals entered the facility. She stated that her agents were forcibly removed with the assistance of central forces, leaving the hall without TMC representation during the concluding stages of the count. “This is not a BJP victory, it is an unethical dirty game,” Banerjee asserted, describing the experience as “torture” orchestrated to undermine the people’s will.
The election, which saw the lead swing from a 17,000-vote advantage for the TMC to a 15,105-vote win for the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, has become a flashpoint for accusations of administrative bias. Banerjee noted that the shift occurred specifically in areas where her support was strongest. She further alleged that voter rolls contained irregularities and that the lack of transparent sealing on voting machines compromised the integrity of the strong rooms.
Central to the dispute is the claim that the Election Commission and local officials acted in coordination with central authorities to favor the BJP candidate. Banerjee declared that the party has preserved documentation of the alleged fraud to be presented in court. She stated that she was leading through the 16th round and maintained that the final outcome was achieved through “forcibly stolen” votes amid intentional disruptions at the counting site.
