‘Do not leave counting centres…’: Mamata urges agents to stay put, claims vote halt across Bengal

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to her party’s counting agents and candidates not to leave their designated counting stations, alleging that vote counting had been disrupted in several parts of West Bengal and accusing the BJP of manipulating early trends.

In a video message issued in the midst of the counting of votes, Banerjee urged party workers as results continued to come in, Banerjee claimed that counting had been paused after only a few rounds in numerous locations and asserted that discrepancies had been detected in some machines. She urged supporters to remain calm and stay in place as the full tally was far from complete.

Banerjee alleges delays and irregularities

Addressing party workers, Banerjee said, "I request all counting agents and candidates not to leave the counting area. This is BJP's plan. Since yesterday, I have been saying that they will show their results first and ours later in the first two or three rounds."

She claimed that counting had been halted in numerous centres. "Counting has been stopped after two or three rounds in about 100 locations. Seven machines were found in Kalyani where there was no match," she said.

Accusing central forces of exerting undue pressure on her party, Banerjee added, "It's a total forceful use of central forces to oppress the Trinamool Congress everywhere, breaking offices, and forcibly occupying them."

She also alleged that votes had been manipulated in certain areas: "You have seen how they looted votes in the name of SIR to win the seats they could. But there are still 70–100 seats where we are leading, which they are not reporting. They are feeding entirely false news."

Encouraging supporters not to panic, she said, "Even if three or four rounds have been counted, there are 14–18 rounds in total. You will win then. Wait and watch. We are with you. Don't be afraid. We will fight like the cubs of a tiger."

BJP poised for breakthrough as trends favour the party

Meanwhile, early trends indicated that the BJP was on course to breach the Trinamool Congress’ long-standing dominance in the state. With leads in 156 seats compared to the Trinamool Congress’ 86, the BJP appeared set for its first-ever government in West Bengal, marking the end of a 15-year TMC rule that itself followed more than three decades of Left Front governance.

The BJP’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said the party expected to cross 180 seats, reflecting confidence within its ranks as counting advanced.

Election officials reject allegations of vote tampering

Earlier in the day, concerns were raised following reports of discarded VVPAT slips in some areas. West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal dismissed suggestions of interference, insisting the security of electronic voting machines made tampering impossible.

“The issue of vote theft doesn’t even arise; votes are locked in the EVM,” Agarwal said, adding that the security protocol in place ensured complete protection of the vote.

Restrictions on celebrations

Agarwal also said authorities had been instructed not to allow victory processions on Monday, citing the need to maintain order during the sensitive counting phase. Permissions for celebrations, he noted, would only be issued from Tuesday.

He highlighted that the election period, including counting day, had passed without major violence, a first for the state, and appealed to the public to maintain peace.

Agarwal further stressed the administration’s readiness and commitment to conducting a smooth electoral process, claiming the state was even prepared for a single-phase election due to its level of preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)