Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging large-scale electoral manipulation, data hacking and irregularities in the Falta Assembly re-election, where the BJP secured a massive victory margin of over 1.09 lakh votes.
Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday addressed supporters through a Facebook Live session and questioned the credibility of the electoral process. “Was this really an election or merely a farce?” she asked, alleging that the Election Commission had manipulated electoral data. Claiming that the Trinamul Congress was expected to win between 220 and 230 Assembly seats, she alleged that the mandate had been “reversed”. Without directly naming the BJP, the former chief minister accused the ruling dispensation at the Centre of unleashing fear and intimidation across the state.
“People are scared. Some are worried about losing their jobs, others about their businesses,” she said. Referring to recent administrative actions, Banerjee alleged that thousands of Trinamul workers had been arrested after the elections and that hawkers had lost their means of livelihood. She also accused authorities of demolishing party offices and targeting political opponents. Demanding transparency in the electoral process, the Trinamul Congress chairperson sought access to reports related to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). “We want the EVM machine reports.
Law is equal for all. If you had truly won fairly, there would have been no need for such oppression,” she remarked. Banerjee also indicated a shift in her public communication strategy, saying she would no longer speak to conventional media platforms and would instead use Facebook Live as her primary mode of addressing the public. “My weapon is my Facebook,” she said. The former chief minister additionally raised concerns over what she described as selective administrative actions and restrictions on public expression, alleging that democratic rights were being curtailed. Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee questioned the pace and conduct of counting in the Falta by-election.
In a statement posted on social media, he alleged that 21 rounds of counting were completed by 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, whereas on 4 May only two to four rounds had reportedly been completed by the same time during the Assembly election counting process. “The Election Commission owes an explanation,” he said. The Trinamul leader further alleged that more than 1,000 party workers in Falta had been forced to flee their homes over the past 10 days, while incidents of vandalism at party offices allegedly took place despite the model code of conduct being in force.
Abhishek Banerjee also criticised the appointment of a senior election official as the new chief secretary of West Bengal, alleging that the official had earlier been used by the Election Commission to manipulate the electoral process through deletion of names and irregularities in voter management. Raising further concerns over the counting process, he alleged that counting agents belonging to political parties other than the BJP were driven out of polling stations by officials and central forces deployed under the Election Commission on 4 May.
Describing the allegations as “deeply alarming”, Abhishek Banerjee demanded that CCTV footage of the counting process be made public and that officials allegedly involved in irregularities be held accountable. “Until compromised officials are brought under accountability and the CCTV footage is released, questions over the credibility of this mandate will only grow stronger,” he said, adding, “Truth cannot be suppressed forever.”