West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee on Sunday dismissed Union home minister Amit Shah’s claims of winning the majority of seats for which polling was held in the first phase of assembly elections in the state a day ago. Banerjee also questioned the Shah how he could predict electoral outcomes so well. “The home minister said they will win 26 out of 30 seats where voting took place in the first phase. Have you (Amit Shah) entered the EVM?” Banerjee said at her Chandipur rally, according to news agency ANI.
Shah claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will emerge victorious on the seats that polled in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 and also win more than 200 of the 294 seats in the eastern state. "I believe that after winning 26 seats in the first phase in Bengal, it will be very easy for us to win over 200 seats overall. The party workers and I have full faith in this," Shah claimed during a press briefing in Delhi.
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Banerjee also asked why did Shah not claim victory in all the 30 seats, urging people to wait till results are declared. "A leader today said that the BJP will win 26 of 30 seats, why did he not claim all 30, did he leave the rest for Congress and CPI(M)?" Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
She also emphasised the high voter turnout as a plausible reason to believe the incumbent TMC will retain control of West Bengal. “Since 84 per cent votes were polled, I can surmise that people have voted for us,” stated Banerjee at the rally. “The TMC will win. Outsiders can't rule Bengal,” she reiterated her point.
{{/usCountry}}She also emphasised the high voter turnout as a plausible reason to believe the incumbent TMC will retain control of West Bengal. “Since 84 per cent votes were polled, I can surmise that people have voted for us,” stated Banerjee at the rally. “The TMC will win. Outsiders can't rule Bengal,” she reiterated her point.
{{/usCountry}}Banerjee was campaigning in Chandipur constituency, which neighbours the heavily contested seat of Nandigram. The chief minister is scheduled to campaign in Nandigram, from where she’s contesting the assembly polls, starting from Sunday night till March 30. Shah is also scheduled to hold a roadshow in Nandigram on Tuesday in support of party candidate Suvendhu Adhikari.
The rest of the seven phases of the assembly elections in West Bengal will be held from April 1 to April 29. Votes will be counted on May 2 along with those from the other three states and Puducherry.