Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 1 : BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday defended the Election Commission and said a "massive defeat" awaits the TMC in Bengal, accusing it of electoral malpractices and blaming the EC and EVMs when it loses.
While speaking to the reporters, he alleged that the TMC had affixed tape on the BJP's symbol on EVMs on polling day, intimidated voters and misled people.
"The appreciation the Election Commission of India gets all over the world for conducting impartial elections is a win for the democracy of India. But when certain political parties lose, they put the blame on the EC, EVM. A massive defeat awaits TMC. The way Mamata is panicking clearly shows that she has lost... on polling day, TMC affixed tape on BJP's symbol on EVM, intimidated people from going to booths, misled people... I urge our workers to be cautious, stay put while the counting is on..."," he said, urging BJP workers to stay vigilant during counting.
In a post on X, the party also shared a video, stating that "opening of ballot boxes" is gross electoral fraud.
However, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal clarified that the EVMs strong rooms are "safe and secure" in response to TMC allegations, asserting that there is no "controversy" in the incident.
The controversy erupted after the TMC alleged that the BJP, "in active collusion" with the Election Commission, "is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders" and said, "this is the murder of democracy in broad daylight."
Earlier, the Supreme Court on Friday constituted a special bench to hear the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) plea tomorrow against the Calcutta High Court's rejection of its plea that challenged the deployment of only Central government and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) employees as supervisors for vote counting in the West Bengal assembly elections.
On Bangladesh MP Akhtar Hussain's statement, Thakur said, "We have always been of the opinion that under TMC, Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas get asylum, hooliganism and corruption get a boost in Bengal. Women feel unsafe, and youth are unemployed. People have voted against these causes. Bangladesh MP's statements verify our claims only." He added that the remarks "verify our claims only."
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, in a post on 'X' shared a video claiming to be a Bangladesh MP, saying that if the BJP government comes to power in West Bengal, it would stop the illegal infiltration and curb Bangladeshi Muslims from the state.
"Bangladesh MP Akhtar Hussain said today in the Bangladesh Parliament that the BJP's victory in West Bengal will stop infiltration and drive out Bangladeshi Muslims; this is dangerous. The helpers of the Trinamool Congress are slowly coming to the fore," Dubey wrote on 'X'.
On the LPG price hike, Thakur cited global factors. "The situation with the Strait of Hormuz is a concern not just for India but the whole world. International price of gas or crude has hiked, not seen in the last 10-20 years," he said.
"Government of India is looking into it with utmost seriousness... our efforts will remain focused on ensuring reducing pressure on common people," he added.
Prices of commercial LPG cylinders were increased by around Rs 993, taking the cost of a 19 kg cylinder in Delhi to Rs 3,071.50 from Friday, raising input costs for businesses, while domestic LPG prices remain unchanged.
There has been no change in the price of the 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder, which continues to be used by around 33 crore households across the country.
The revision applies only to commercial and bulk LPG categories, which together account for a relatively smaller share of overall LPG consumption in India. Domestic LPG, which is subsidised and widely used for cooking, has been kept out of the latest price revision.
The hike comes against the backdrop of volatile global crude oil prices, which have remained elevated in recent weeks due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Brent crude had touched USD 126 per barrel on Thursday, before falling to USD 113 per barrel on Friday.
Since India imports a significant portion of its LPG requirements, domestic pricing of commercial and non-subsidised cylinders is linked to international benchmarks and is revised on a monthly basis.