Kolkata: A fresh political controversy has erupted after Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee accused rivals of orchestrating violence and manipulating the electoral process in the high-profile Bhabanipur Assembly contest.
The claims surfaced through a telephonic conversation shared on social media by TMC MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee. In the recording, Banerjee alleged that the final phases of vote counting were marred by chaos, intimidation, and procedural violations.
According to her, unidentified individuals allegedly entered the counting centre during the closing rounds, physically assaulted her, and forcibly removed her party’s counting agents. She further claimed that central security forces were complicit in the incident and that she was denied access to the counting hall at a critical juncture.
The Bhabanipur contest, widely seen as a prestige battle, witnessed dramatic fluctuations across 20 rounds of counting. Banerjee initially surged ahead with a steady lead, which at one point crossed 17,000 votes. However, the margin began to shrink in subsequent rounds, setting the stage for a tense finish.
In a late turnaround, BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari overtook Banerjee and eventually secured victory by a margin of over 15,000 votes. The reversal has drawn sharp reactions from the TMC leadership, which had considered Bhabanipur a stronghold of Banerjee.
Questioning the integrity of the process, Banerjee alleged that electronic voting machines were moved without proper safeguards and that her party lacked representation during crucial counting stages. She also pointed to alleged discrepancies in voter rolls and claimed that disruptions, including power outages, contributed to what she described as an “engineered outcome.”
Calling the episode “deeply distressing,” Banerjee accused the Election Commission of India and security agencies of bias, suggesting they acted under pressure to influence the result in favour of the BJP.
The TMC chief has indicated that her party will challenge the outcome legally, stating that evidence has been compiled to support the allegations. “This is not a genuine victory but the result of unfair practices,” she said in the conversation.
The development has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with both sides expected to engage in a prolonged battle—on the ground and in the courts—over the legitimacy of the Bhabanipur verdict.
