As early trends showed that the Bharatiya Janata Party had surged ahead in the Assembly election results, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress will “win after sunset” and told party members not to “lose hope”.

At 1.40 pm, the BJP was leading in 192 constituencies, while the Trinamool Congress was ahead in 94 places. A party or an alliance needs 148 seats in the 294-member Assembly to secure a majority.

Nevertheless, Banerjee claimed that reports about the BJP winning the elections constituted “fake news” and that planting such statements was part of the Hindutva party’s plan. She urged counting agents and the Trinamool Congress’ candidates not to leave counting centres.

“In the first few rounds, they will count their voters,” the Trinamool Congress chief claimed. “In about 100 seats, they have stopped counting. There are about 70 to 100 seats in which we are leading and they are not showing that.”

Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission was imposing its will through central paramilitary forces.

“I want to tell all our counting agents not to lose hope,” she said in a video message. “I had told you before that we would win after sunset. There are many rounds of counting left. Wait and watch. Do not get scared.”

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As vote counting progressed on Monday, the Trinamool Congress alleged irregularities in the process, claiming that there was a delay and a lack of transparency in the release of trends.

Earlier in the day, TMC leader and West Bengal minister Shashi Panja alleged that poll personnel were delaying the entry of authorised counting agents of political parties into counting centres, PTI reported.

Polling was held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with a record provisional voter turnout of 92.4%.

However, votes in 293 constituencies are being counted on Monday as the Election Commission has ordered repolling in the Falta Assembly seat, citing “severe electoral offences”. The polling there will be held on May 21 and the votes will be counted on May 24.

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.

As part of the process, 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.

Also read: From jhalmuri to fish, how BJP is trying to shed its outsider image in Bengal