Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal were “stolen” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the support of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
He said he agreed with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claiming that “more than 100 seats were stolen” in the state.
“Assam and Bengal are clear cases of the election being stolen by the BJP with the support of the EC. We agree with Mamata ji. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal,” Gandhi posted on X.
The Congress leader further alleged that similar patterns had been seen in earlier elections, citing Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and the 2024 general election.
His remarks came after Mamata Banerjee also made strong allegations against the Election Commission, saying the BJP had “looted more than 100 seats” and calling the EC “the BJP’s commission.” She described the outcome as an “immoral” and “illegal” victory and accused the poll body, central forces, and top government leadership of wrongdoing.
“BJP looted more than 100 seats. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back,” Banerjee told reporters.
The comments came even as trends showed a clear BJP majority in West Bengal, marking a major political shift in the state as Trinamool Congress’s long rule appeared set to end.
BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari also registered a significant lead in key constituencies, including Bhabanipur and Nandigram. In Bhabanipur, Election Commission figures after final counting showed Adhikari defeating Mamata Banerjee by 15,105 votes.
He also won Nandigram, securing 1,27,301 votes after the final round of counting, according to ECI data.
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress had won 213 of 294 seats with around 48 per cent vote share, while the BJP had emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats and about 38 per cent votes. The Left-Congress alliance had failed to win any seats.
(With inputs from PTI)