Assam, Bengal ‘clear cases’ of BJP stealing polls with EC support: Rahul Gandhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party “stole” the Assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal with the support of the Election Commission, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Monday.

The Opposition leader said on social media that he agreed with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims of irregularities in the counting of votes on Monday, saying that “more than 100 seats were stolen” in the state.

Gandhi alleged that similar patterns had been seen in previous elections, citing Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, all of which were won by the BJP.

On Monday, the BJP defeated Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in the state polls.

Hours after the poll results became clear, Banerjee criticised the Election Commission, describing it as “the BJP’s commission” and alleged that the BJP had “looted more than 100 seats”.

The TMC chief also claimed that she had been “beaten” at a counting centre.

The BJP won 206 seats of the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. As of 7.30 am on Tuesday, the TMC had won 80 seats and was ahead in one, where the counting was underway.

In Assam, the BJP will form the government for a third consecutive term, having won 82 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 102 seats.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday described the poll results as a “black day” for Indian democracy, alleging large-scale irregularities during vote counting and misuse of central forces.

“Will the ruling politics now drag it down even lower than the netherworld,” he asked on social media. “Today, the entire nation is enraged, and democracy is anguished.”

He claimed similar practices had occurred in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and said public opinion had been “openly looted”.

Opposition MP Kapil Sibal also supported Banerjee’s position on Monday, stating that the TMC had been defeated not by the BJP but by the Election Commission, central forces and the alleged disenfranchisement of voters.

“This election was stolen not won,” he said. “We must stand by Mamata”

Also read:

• SIR to CRPF: Five factors that helped the BJP conquer Bengal

• Mamata Banerjee claims she was ‘beaten’ at Bengal polls counting centre

Voter roll revision

The elections followed a special intensive revision of electoral rolls by the Election Commission across 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal.

Final rolls published in February initially excluded over 61 lakh voters, with the process continuing through supplementary lists and adjudication of about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases.

By April 6, about 91 lakh voters, nearly 11.9% of the electorate before the process began, had been removed.

Those removed were allowed to appeal before 19 appellate tribunals. On April 16, the Supreme Court directed that voters cleared by the tribunals be included through supplementary rolls. Additions continued till the eve of voting, with 1,468 names restored a day before the second phase.

There is no clarity on how many pending cases were decided on by the tribunals before polling.

Election Commission’s decisions

Alongside the vote roll revision, the Election Commission exercised extensive powers under the Model Code of Conduct in West Bengal, including the preventive arrest of more than 1,500 persons, even as the Calcutta High Court stayed earlier directives for such action.

The code is a set of guidelines issued by the poll panel that political parties, candidates and governments must follow during an election. It sets guardrails for speeches, campaigning, meetings, processions, election manifestos and other aspects of the polls.

About 2.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed in the state during elections, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah announcing that they would remain in West Bengal for two months after the polls.

Additional curbs included limits on motorcycle movement and a temporary tourist ban in Digha. A 96-hour liquor ban was also imposed ahead of voting, exceeding the usual 48-hour norm.

Additionally, after the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 15, the Election Commission directed a major reshuffle involving more than 480 bureaucrats and police officers. This included the transfer of the state’s chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police, along with several other Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service officers.