Loading article...
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused the Election Commission of India of acting in a partisan manner during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging large-scale irregularities after the BJP secured a majority. He questioned the credibility of the electoral process, citing the alleged disenfranchisement of nearly 30 lakh voters and irregularities in EVM handling.
In a social media post, Banerjee claimed that democratic institutions appeared compromised, with government agencies and the ECI failing to ensure impartiality. He called for the release of CCTV footage from counting centers and a transparent verification of VVPAT slips, asserting that the people's mandate may not have been fully respected.
Banerjee also reported incidents of post-poll violence, including attacks on TMC offices and intimidation of party workers, some of whom he said had been forced to flee their homes. He urged affected workers to contact him directly and pledged legal and democratic remedies to ensure their safety.
The TMC national general secretary affirmed the party's role as a strong opposition in both West Bengal and Parliament, reiterating commitment to constitutional values. The party will pursue formal challenges and demand investigations into electoral conduct and violence allegations.
The Election Commission has not yet responded to the allegations. The Calcutta High Court is expected to receive petitions related to vote verification and post-poll violence, with legal proceedings likely to begin in the coming week.