Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 1 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday expressed confidence that the party is poised to return to power, projecting a win of over 250 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year.
He added that the "Bharatiya Janata Party is unlikely to secure even 30 seats" in the polls.
Speaking to reporters here, Ghosh said, "TMC is going to come back to power, TMC is going to win more than 250 seats, and BJP isn't even in a position to win 30 or more seats."
Commenting on his party MP Abhishek Banerjee's ongoing protests, Ghosh said they aim to safeguard citizens against alleged injustices and protect the rights of every legal voter.
"Abhishek Banerjee is protesting against the atrocities being committed against people. Abhishek Banerjee is protesting to protect the rights of every legal voter. We are going to win anyway. This isn't about winning; our goal is to ensure that people's rights are protected," he asserted.
The TMC leader's response came after Abhishek Banerjee, who alleged "vote theft" through manipulation of voter lists and software rather than EVMs. He claimed 50 lakh to 1 crore voters were being disenfranchised via algorithms, and demanded the release of a list of 1.36 crore voters flagged with logical discrepancies.
Talking to the media after meeting the Election Commission, Banerjee accused the BJP of misusing institutions.
"People of Bengal are made to build differently. We are not built like that; we will not bow down before you. Let the BJP put their entire mind and use all the agencies and whatever they have at their disposal. Still, the people of Bengal will win the state, lock, stock, and barrel, and defeat the BJP. They have fallen flat on their faces in 2012, 2021, 2024, and it will happen again in 2026. We will bow before the power of the people, not the people in power," he said.
Banerjee alleged that the poll panel failed to answer most of the party's questions.
Meanwhile, BJP MP and Chairman of the Bar Council of India, Manan Kumar Mishra, today launched a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress over Abhishek Banerjee's SIR remarks in West Bengal and accused the party of using "abusive language" that shows a sign of "desperation" to form a government.
"The TMC people are saying anything out of panic. Whether it's Mamata Banerjee or her nephew, they are spewing all sorts of abusive language. This is a sign of their desperation. They are definitely going to be ousted in this election," the BJP MP said.