Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 3 : Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President N Ramchander Rao on Sunday alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders are "frustrated and distressed" following exit poll projections in West Bengal.
Rao claimed that the party is making allegations against the Election Commission (EC), electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the BJP as "Mamata Banerjee is losing the government".
Speaking toahead of the counting of votes on May 4, he asserted that exit polls indicate a change in government in Bengal and added that the BJP is poised to form the government in the state for the first time.
"The exit polls in Bengal are a clear indicator that Mamata Didi is losing the government in Bengal and her party is badly losing in Bengal. For the first time, the BJP is going to come to power in Bengal. Those are the indications right now. So the TMC leaders are now frustrated and distressed. Therefore, they are making allegations against ECI, EVMs, and the BJP," Rao said.
He also addressed concerns raised over the deployment of central forces during the elections, defending their role in ensuring free and fair polling. "On one hand, they say that the Election Commission of India is deploying central forces to make the people afraid. On the other hand, the people had come out freely and voted in the elections because of the central forces," he stated.
Criticising the ruling TMC government, Rao alleged that earlier elections in the state were marked by intimidation and violence. "Otherwise, the state government has always deployed their forces to suppress its political opponents. They have used violence, and it's the first time that in Bengal, violence has minimised," he added.
This comes after the Election Commission on Saturday ordered that fresh voting will be held across all 285 polling stations in the Falta assembly constituency of West Bengal on May 21, even as repolling was held in 15 booths in Paschim Magrahat and Diamond Harbour assembly constituencies. Votes will be counted on May 24.
According to the ECI, directives for fresh repolling have been given in Falta "on consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on April 29".
Earlier on Saturday, the BJP delegation met with West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh visited the Netaji Indoor Stadium, which has strong rooms with EVMs.
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