The state BJP on Thursday thanked the people for helping it in emerging the main Opposition in the panchayat poll despite unprecedented violence and repression unleashed on party supporters and activists by the ruling party.

“It is certainly a good sign that the people have defied the TMC’s terror tactic and tried to rally behind the BJP as best as possible had there been free and fair polling the BJP would have been in a far better position,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said on Thursday.

He said that BJP is a tough competition for TMC. “If it is being considered that there will be a one-sided victory, it isn’t so. It isn’t the state election commission but the voters who have decided the fate of this election. The state BJP is still a big part of the fight,” Mr Ghosh said.

Fake votes were caste at the counting centres itself, but the BJP tried its best to get fair results, he said. The party state president also said that the BJP holds the second strongest position in Bengal.

Criticising the TMC and chief minister Mamata Banerjee for depriving people’s right by not allowing them to cast their votes, he said the current results showing 99% of the seats belonging to the TMC, isn’t the actual situation.

“The districts where we considered to win there we are actually ahead by the number of votes. We have already won several panchayats. In Keshiary village we have acquired 51 seats amongst 85 seats. This is the type of results we are creating and expecting in future,” he said.

BJP state panchayat co-convener Shamik Bhattacharya said the state BJP marked its presence everywhere in the state and became a key factor to form board in several panchayat samiti.

“People of the Bengal saw this time that development was a farce and the winning point of the TMC was unleashing terror to destroy the Opposition. Under these circumstances, BJP panchayat candidates, polling agents and party workers braved the terror attack by the TMC-backed goons and secured winning in the several panchayat seats,” he said.

Mr Bhattacharya, however, said post-poll violence was spreading rapidly in
the state and BJP winning candidates and workers were being severely attacked by miscreants backed by the Trinamul Congress.

“Several winning candidates were attacked, they were admitted to hospital. Candidates, who won the election were being threatened to join TMC. Certificates of the winning candidates of the BJP were torn. It seems
violence is unending in the state,” he said.