In a sharp escalation of post-election rhetoric, Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress, has alleged large-scale irregularities in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.
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Backing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s stance, Banerjee stated that the party did not lose the election but was “looted into losing,” pointing to what he described as serious discrepancies in the counting process.
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He raised concerns over the handling of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), clarifying that while EVMs may not be hacked, they can allegedly be replaced.
According to him, multiple instances were reported where the serial numbers of EVMs did not match with Form 17C records, which document votes polled at each booth.
Banerjee claimed that at least 10 such discrepancies were reported from constituencies like Kalyani and Memari, and similar complaints emerged from nearly 100 counting centres across the state.
He further alleged that counting agents were removed from several centres after 2 PM, despite the fact that only a few rounds of counting had been completed by that time. “80–90% of counting should have been finished by then, but timestamps show only 3–4 rounds were conducted,” he said.
The TMC leader also questioned the neutrality of the election machinery, alleging that key officials such as Counting Observers and Micro Observers were centrally appointed, while paramilitary forces guarded counting centres. He claimed this created an environment that projected an early victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Banerjee asserted that CCTV footage from counting centres supports these claims and that formal complaints were submitted to the Returning Officers on counting day.
The allegations have intensified the political confrontation in West Bengal, with the Election Commission yet to respond in detail to the claims.
