West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed the BJP’s landslide victory in the state polls “immoral” and alleged the mandate was “looted” in more than 100 seats.   The  Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo made the remarks while walking out of the counting centre at her Bhabanipur constituency at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School.  “We will bounce back,” she told reporters. 

Banerjee had reached the centre amid Trinamool Congress allegations that one of its counting agents had been forced out of the venue. As she came out, BJP supporters greeted her with “Jai Shree Ram” slogans.  BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari won Bhabanipur by a margin of 15,105 votes.  A visibly distraught Banerjee alleged the Election Commission’s activities, carried out with central forces “in connivance with PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah,” were “illegal.” 

“I lodged a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, but to no avail,” she said, adding, “The CCTV was switched off while our agents were not allowed inside the counting centre.”   Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi backed Banerjee, saying “Assam and Bengal are clear cases of the election being stolen by the BJP with the support of the EC. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal.”  

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)