Mamata Banerjee has ‘panicked’ before poll results: BJP MPs on Bengal CM’s strong room visit

BJP leaders accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of panicking ahead of the Assembly election results after she raised concerns over EVM tampering at a Kolkata strong room. BJP leaders claimed the Trinamool Congress was preparing excuses for a possible defeat

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs on Friday claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has “panicked” before the Assembly election results on May 4 and is looking for an “excuse” for defeat.

The response came after the Bengal CM, on Thursday night, stormed the Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls High School, the venue for a strong-room storing the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata and stayed there past midnight, alleging EVM tampering.

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BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain remarked that the Trinamool Congress is “panicking” due to the fear of defeat.

“In panic and confusion, they are going to the strong room. The public has already made its decision. The Bharatiya Janata Party is going to come with full strength,” he told IANS.

He mentioned that the exit polls too have given an edge to the BJP.

Hussain also echoed: “Trinamool Congress is looking for an excuse. It wants to blame the Election Commission for its defeat.”

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called the Trinamool Congress members as “people belonging to mafia culture”.

He said, “Trinamool has adopted the triple D approach. Denial, Diversion and Drama. They are even threatening people now. The party leaders also abuse the Constitutional establishments like the Election Commission.

Poonawalla referred to a viral video in which Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee is purportedly heard making objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He said, “More than the exit polls, his statement is proof that Trinamool is going to exit.”

Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi termed Banerjee’s visit to the strong room as her “frustration”.

“It is coming across as if she (Banerjee) is also losing from Bhabanipur. The kind of activity she is doing, even the law does not approve of that. Panic is clearly visible on her face. People used to call Bihar as ‘Jungle Raj’, but for the past 15 years, there has been ‘Maha Jungle Raj’ in Bengal. People are fed up there,” he said.

About the exit polls, he said: “Most of them have given the BJP an edge, which is why she is more panicked.”

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said that the losing side seems to have no other “excuse left”.

“After ruling for 15 years, if a party is now doing politics over SIR and strong rooms, what does that indicate? It suggests the party has already accepted defeat and is now searching for some excuse,” he told reporters.

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal accused CM Banerjee of not taking responsibility for her actions.

“She (Banerjee) has lost the election, and the people have shown her the way out of Bengal, so she is blaming EVMs,” he said.