Mamata Banerjee dismisses exit polls, claims Trinamool will win 200+ seats in Bengal counting

KOLKATA: Ahead of the May 4 counting of votes for the assembly elections, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Saturday trashed exit poll results, saying they were conducted to “manipulate the stock market,” and told party colleagues in a virtual address that Trinamool “is winning and winning by 200-plus seats.”

Banerjee urged counting agents not to leave their tables even for a minute without a replacement and advised them not to be anxious if postal ballot results initially go against the party. She and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that “BJP was using the Election Commission” and that party workers and supporters were being selectively targeted. The CM said she would reward workers who had “withstood these attacks fearlessly and fought back”.

Trinamool Congress also released a list of party seniors deputed to coordinate with ground workers on the counting day. Abhishek will oversee South 24 Parganas. Meanwhile, Bengal’s leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari called on all political parties to maintain peace ahead of the counting, urging them to accept the people’s mandate and avoid a repeat of the post-poll violence that followed the 2021 elections.

“Let there be peace in Bengal. The election is over and every political party should take part in the counting. Whatever rivalry existed during the polls should end now,” Adhikari said on Friday evening as he emerged from an EVM strongroom after a visit.

Invoking the 2021 violence, in which BJP claims 300 of its workers were killed, he said: “No neta is hurt in violence — I have CRPF security, Mamata ji has police protection and a bulletproof car. It is the common man and ordinary worker who suffers. We should now cooperate with EC, central forces and state police.”

BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar alleged that “outsiders” had been brought into the city and were staying at hotels ahead of counting.