As the high-decibel second phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections came to a close on Wednesday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien launched a sharp attack against pollsters. After a host of exit polls emerged with most of them predicting the end of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC era, O’Brien shared a comparative graph highlighting the inaccuracy of 2021 exit polls.
On the website
Data shared by O’Brien showed that India Today (Axis My India) had predicted a close race, suggesting 143 of the total 294 seats for the TMC, and 147 for the BJP, in the 2021 elections. Others, like ABP (C-Voter) and CNN News18, had predicted a win for the TMC but it was between 158 and 162 seats.
What actually happened
However, the actual result was a landslide victory for Mamata Banerjee’s party, which won 213 seats (plus two seats later in bypolls, thus 215), while the BJP was limited to 77 seats, despite a significant jump from its tally of just three seats in 2016.
This time, three pollsters – Matrez (146-161), B Mark (150-175) and Pol Diary (142-171) – gave the BJP a narrow to comfortable majority in the 294-seat assembly, while the People’s Pulse Party predicted a sweeping comeback for the TMC with 177-187 seats.
Challenge to Modi: ‘Resign if Mamata wins’
The poll post came after an aggressive morning post in which Derek O’Brien issued a direct challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a video message setting the tone for the second phase of polls, the TMC leader challenged the Prime Minister to step down from office if the BJP fails to oust the Banerjee government.
“Narendra, you have declared yourself a candidate for all 294 Bengal seats. Leave the big talk. Accept this challenge,” O’Brien said in the video. He was using the first names of Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as a response to the BJP using only the word ‘Mamata’ to refer to CM Banerjee.
“On May 4, when Mamata Banerjee and TMC won Bengal, they resigned from the post of chief minister. Do you have the courage?” books.
The challenge centered on the BJP’s strategy of making the Prime Minister the face of the state campaign.
The verbal remarks came as 142 seats in seven districts went to the polls on Wednesday. The stage recorded a large turnout of about 92%.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting from the pivotal Bhabanipur seat against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, spent the day making serious accusations against the central forces. She alleged that CRPF personnel were “torturing” voters and “picking up TMC boys” at the behest of observers allied with the BJP.
“They are not allowing our councillors to go out. The CRPF went to a councilor’s house in ward 70 without the local police and attacked his house,” Banerjee claimed during a press conference, even as she showed alleged video evidence.
However, the BJP remains confident. Party leaders disputed the junta’s narrative, claiming the high turnout was a sign of the “silent voters” coming out to end the junta’s 15-year rule. They also lodged complaints alleging that TMC workers used tape to block BJP buttons on EVMs at several booths.
