Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of committing violence against her party workers, saying the party was destroying the “festival of democracy” by committing such atrocities.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to “forcefully rig elections”, as voting in the second phase of the state assembly elections is underway.
She accused the BJP of committing violence against her party workers and termed it a “riot” and said the party was destroying the “festival of democracy” by committing such atrocities. Follow live updates of West Bengal Elections 2026
Speaking to reporters, Banerjee showed a photo/video of a party worker, who she claimed was beaten up by the BJP, saying: “Look how our worker was beaten up at night. Just look at these atrocities. What kind of riot is happening? Voting does not happen this way. Voting happens peacefully.”
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She added: “It is a festival of democracy. But they have completely destroyed it. The intention is very clear that the BJP wants to forcefully rig the elections. Our workers and people are ready to die, but they will not leave the place.”
She also accused the BJP of “bringing observers from outside” into the state and said they were practicing “terrorism”. Her comments come after Banerjee visited several polling stations in her Bhabanipur Assembly constituency and alleged that central forces and election observers were acting at the behest of the BJP.
“A lot of observers have come from outside. Whatever the BJP says, they do. Votes will be cast by voters, not by police or security forces,” she said.
She also claimed that all TMC party flags were removed beforehand and alleged that outsiders were interfering in the polling process.
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She added: “Just look around, all our posters have been removed. Is this how you do polls? Some new people have been brought in recently, and they are doing whatever they want. They are practicing terrorism.”
UP policeman creates panic in West Bengal
Banerjee’s comments come a day after Ajay Pal Sharma, an IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh, was posted in West Bengal for the 2026 Assembly elections.
Sharma, popularly known as the ‘encounter specialist’ in Uttar Pradesh, was posted as a police observer in South 24 Parganas district and was seen warning supporters of TMC candidate Jehangir Khan against voter intimidation, sparking a heated political debate between the TMC and the BJP.
Read also: Who is UP’s ‘encounter specialist’ IPS Ajay Sharma, whose deployment in Bengal has created a stir
Political reactions poured in with some in the BJP calling him the “Singham of UP Police” while some TMC leaders mocked him and asked him to “tone down the heroism”.
While the BJP and Election Commission of India said Sharma was deployed to ensure “free and fair voting” in the state, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also alleged that the BJP is trying to tilt the vote in their favor by “deploying agents” to intimidate voters.
The second stage of voting
After a record public turnout in the first stage The second phase of voting has begun in West Bengalcovering nearly half of the total state assembly seats, 142 (out of 294). The results will be announced on May 4.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, with an emphasis on providing updates quickly and clearly so readers can understand what’s happening as it unfolds. She is comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, and regularly contributes live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she loves exploring different art forms and relaxing with music. With more than three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read more
