KOLKATA – Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has leveled serious allegations of administrative interference just hours before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections was set to commence. In a late-night social media post, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader claimed that deliberate power outages and CCTV disruptions occurred near EVM strongrooms.
Allegations of Interference
Around 1 am on Monday, Banerjee reported receiving information of suspicious activities across several locations:
-
Targeted Load-Shedding: Power cuts were allegedly imposed in phases at sites including Serampore (Hooghly), Krishnanagar (Nadia), Aushgram (Burdwan), and the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in Kolkata.
-
Monitoring Disruption: The Chief Minister claimed that CCTVs were being turned off and unauthorized vehicles were seen moving in and out of strongroom premises.
-
“BJP Behest”: Banerjee asserted that these incidents were orchestrated at the direction of the BJP.
Supporting these claims, West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja shared footage of a “camera blackout” at Kolkata’s Khudiram Anushilini Stadium, noting that while service resumed after protests, the party demands a review of the missing footage.
Directives to TMC Workers
Seeking a fourth consecutive term, Banerjee urged party workers to remain vigilant throughout the night:
-
Guard the Vote: Workers were instructed to “stay awake” and “give guard” to protect the mandate stored in strongrooms.
-
Immediate Action: The Chief Minister advised her supporters to surround anyone creating suspicious situations, file immediate complaints, and demand CCTV recordings.
Election Context and Projections
The counting of votes for 293 of the 294 assembly seats began at 8 am today, following a two-phase election held on April 23 and April 29. Results for the Falta seat are delayed until May 21 due to ordered repolling.
Despite five exit polls predicting a BJP victory, Banerjee remains confident in a massive mandate, predicting her party will cross 226 seats, and possibly reach 230. The majority mark for the state assembly is 148.
