West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC) accused the Election Commission of bias and reported violence at a vote-counting centre this week.
These allegations emerge as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) makes significant gains in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, challenging the Trinamool Congress's long-standing grip on the state.
Banerjee said the Election Commission is effectively a "BJP commission." She said BJP workers employed immoral tactics and that security forces targeted TMC workers during the counting process. These events reportedly occurred at a counting centre in Dinhata town [1].
As part of these claims, Banerjee said TMC office-bearer Bishu Dhar was attacked by BJP workers after leaving the counting centre [1]. While some reports highlight this incident, other news outlets have not mentioned violence at the counting location [2].
Numerical data from the ongoing count shows the BJP leading on 206 seats, with 113 seats already won [1]. Early trends indicate the BJP has crossed the halfway mark in the assembly [3].
Personal losses have also hit the TMC leadership. Banerjee lost her own seat in the Bhabanipur constituency by more than 15,000 votes [3]. Despite the current trends and the loss of her seat, Banerjee said, "I will not resign as Chief Minister" [2].
The Chief Minister's accusations target the neutrality of the electoral process. She said the administrative machinery and security forces have been compromised to favor the opposition party [1].
“"Election Commission is BJP's commission."”
The combination of a significant seat loss for the TMC and the personal defeat of Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur creates a crisis of legitimacy for the current administration. By framing the Election Commission as a partisan entity, Banerjee is attempting to delegitimize the BJP's victory and provide a political justification for her refusal to resign despite the electoral results.
