What is the story about?
As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears set to win the West Bengal assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have called the situation “fishy” and raised doubts about the counting of votes.
Shrreya Pande, the TMC candidate in Kolkata’s Maniktala, described the situation as “very fishy” as he trailed behind the BJP’s Tapas Roy. He said he remained confident of winning.
“Of the 20 rounds, only one has been completed. Wait for the rest. The TMC will form the government in the state again,” Pande told PTI.
But trends do not appear to support Pande’s confidence.
The BJP was leading in 179 of 293 seats, with the TMC ahead in just 104, according to the latest trends at 12:25 pm.
Follow our live coverage of the West Bengal election results here
Echoing Pande’s concerns, TMC’s Shashi Panja, a minister in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, told PTI that election officials were delaying the entry of political parties’ authorised agents into counting centres. She claimed that officials were not aware of how to conduct the proceedings.
“The poll personnel are delaying the counting process as there is confusion at the entry gates of the centres. They are delaying the entry of counting agents as they seem to be at a loss about the arrangements,” Panja said.
Similarly, another candidate, Manturam Pakhira, claimed that the counting of votes was delayed by an hour at a centre, according to the news agency.
Pakhira alleged that there was “total mismanagement by the Election Commission” and said many counting officials were “yet to reach their respective tables”.
The counting of votes for 293 seats began at 8 am. Voting was held in two phases on April 23 and 29.
With the Congress and Left parties marginalised in the state, the West Bengal election had become a direct contest between the ruling TMC and the BJP. CM Mamata Banerjee is facing BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, in Bhabanipur. As per the latest trends, Mamata is leading is leading by 19,393 votes.
In the previous 2021 election, Adhikari defeated Mamata in Nandigram by a margin of 1,956 votes.
Shrreya Pande, the TMC candidate in Kolkata’s Maniktala, described the situation as “very fishy” as he trailed behind the BJP’s Tapas Roy. He said he remained confident of winning.
“Of the 20 rounds, only one has been completed. Wait for the rest. The TMC will form the government in the state again,” Pande told PTI.
But trends do not appear to support Pande’s confidence.
The BJP was leading in 179 of 293 seats, with the TMC ahead in just 104, according to the latest trends at 12:25 pm.
Follow our live coverage of the West Bengal election results here
Echoing Pande’s concerns, TMC’s Shashi Panja, a minister in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, told PTI that election officials were delaying the entry of political parties’ authorised agents into counting centres. She claimed that officials were not aware of how to conduct the proceedings.
“The poll personnel are delaying the counting process as there is confusion at the entry gates of the centres. They are delaying the entry of counting agents as they seem to be at a loss about the arrangements,” Panja said.
Similarly, another candidate, Manturam Pakhira, claimed that the counting of votes was delayed by an hour at a centre, according to the news agency.
Pakhira alleged that there was “total mismanagement by the Election Commission” and said many counting officials were “yet to reach their respective tables”.
The counting of votes for 293 seats began at 8 am. Voting was held in two phases on April 23 and 29.
With the Congress and Left parties marginalised in the state, the West Bengal election had become a direct contest between the ruling TMC and the BJP. CM Mamata Banerjee is facing BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, in Bhabanipur. As per the latest trends, Mamata is leading is leading by 19,393 votes.
In the previous 2021 election, Adhikari defeated Mamata in Nandigram by a margin of 1,956 votes.
