New Delhi [India], May 1 : BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday dismissed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statements as a "panic" response to exit polls, accusing the TMC of fabricating excuses and allegations to distract from an impending electoral defeat.
Poonawalla claimed that for the first time, the BJP is poised to form the government in Bengal, leaving the TMC desperate to shift the narrative before the final results are declared.
Speaking to ANI, Poonawala said, "Ever since the exit polls have come and it is becoming clear that for the first time BJP is going to form the government in Bengal and TMC is going to face a huge defeat, they are trying to divert attention, they are doing drama... TMC is trying to make excuses even before losing... They have been making many kinds of allegations because they are in panic."
Meanwhile, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also dismissed Mamata Banerjee's recent protests as "pre-emptive drama" intended to manufacture excuses for a projected TMC defeat in the exit polls.
"Whoever is going to lose the election looks for excuses for the defeat in advance. Mamata Banerjee has already lost the election; all the exit polls are showing that TMC has been wiped out, but she is still doing drama. Going to the strong room and creating drama, staging a protest, all this is because she is writing the story after the defeat. She is thinking that when she loses the election, what allegations will she make, hence she is doing this work from now on... When she won, the BJP had accepted its defeat. Now, Mamata Banerjee should accept her defeat. There will be no drama after the 4th," said Hussain.
Earlier on Thursday, with two days left for counting of Assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Bhabanipur strong room in Kolkata and said that her party will prevent all attempts, if made, to tamper with electronic voting machines.
Claiming that her party received reports of EVM tampering in many parts of the state, Banerjee said, "There is a strong room here for EVMs. We found that in many places, manipulation is taking place. When I saw the CCTV on TV, I thought I should also go and see it. Initially, the Central Forces wouldn't let me enter. But according to our election rules, the candidate and election agent of any party are allowed up to the sealed room."
Asserting that TMC is facing a biased stance from the Election Commission of India, CM Banerjee said, "Our agent has been arrested; there has been so much one-sidedness. Even after that, if someone tries to steal the EVM machine, if someone tries to steal the counting, then we will fight life and death together."
Also, the Chief Minister urged every citizen to maintain peace and harmony during this crucial time. "Victory is Certain," she said.
Most exit polls have predicted a BJP ousting the TMC in West Bengal, which has been in power for the last 15 years. Chanakya Strategies projected the BJP winning 150-160 seats in 294 West Bengal assembly and getting a majority of its own. It said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) would win 30-40 seats and others six to 10 seats.
West Bengal has achieved its highest voter turnout since independence, reaching a historic 91.66 per cent during Phase II of the elections. However, the polling day also witnessed high political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the deployment of security forces in the state.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), poll participation in West Bengal (Phase-II) stood at 91.66 per cent till 7:45 PM. In phase I of the elections on April 23, the poll participation was 93.19 per cent, resulting in a staggering combined poll percentage over the two phases at 92.47 per cent."The combined poll percentage over the two phases stands at 92.47%. Previously, the highest poll-participation in WB was 84.72% (2011 GELA), " a release from the ECI said.
The voter turnout was high across the board, with female voters leading at 92.28 per cent and male voters not far behind at 91.07 per cent.