Khela shesh – the game is over. That’s what the BJP’s Bengal unit posted on X (formerly Twitter) even as Bengal’s outgoing chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged Trinamool candidates and agents to remain vigilant and not to leave counting centres, alleging that there was a "game plan" by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the saffron party taking a lead in the counting trends.
The counting showed the BJP on its way to breach Mamata’s fortress and finally conquering Bengal, although the trends could change as many seats are seeing tooth-and-nail battles.
That includes Bhabanipur, the Kolkata constituency where the outgoing chief minister has taken what seems a comfortable lead.
In a video message issued during the counting of votes, Mamata appealed to party workers to stay put and not to lose morale.
"I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres," she said.
"We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," she said, adding that there were "around 70 to 100 seats where we are leading, but they are not sharing the data of those seats".
"A false narrative is being spread," she alleged.
The chief minister accused the Election Commission of "not declaring results or leads" in areas where the TMC was ahead.
"This is a game plan by the EC and the BJP as it (poll panel) is not declaring results or leads in areas where we are leading," she said.
Banerjee also alleged irregularities in the counting process at some locations.
"In several places, counting has been stopped after the first two to three rounds. In Kalyani, we have caught seven machines with severe anomalies," she claimed.
She claimed that TMC workers were being "harassed with the help of central forces" and that party offices were being "vandalised and forcefully captured".
"With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing AITC workers. Our offices have been vandalised," she said, also alleging that voter list revision exercises were "purposefully done to target seats where we were strong".
She said more rounds of counting were yet to take place and urged them to stay firm.
"Fourteen to eighteen rounds of counting will happen. You will surely emerge victorious. Don't be afraid; fight like tigers," she said.
Her remarks came as counting trends suggested that the BJP had crossed way past the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member Assembly.
Counting for 293 constituencies was underway with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes. Officials cautioned that trends could change as more rounds are counted, and final results would be known later in the day.
The BJP workers are not paying heed to any such caveats though as celebrations have begun. In central Kolkata, a shopkeeper shouted “Jai Shri Ram” triumphantly.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the election outcome has exposed deep cracks within the Opposition bloc.
"The biggest takeaway of this election is that the 'INDI' alliance has completely broken and vanished. Rahul Gandhi has failed to lead the alliance. It was shown in the entire election that Rahul Gandhi failed to handle the 'INDI' alliance," Poonawalla wrote on X.
"Despite being in power continuously for 12 years in the country, BJP governments are being formed in new states and the BJP's vote share is increasing and people's confidence in BJP is getting stronger thanks to Modi ji," he said.
BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde thanked the people of Bengal.
"Where (Syama Prasad) Mookerjee was born, that Bengal is ours. Heartiest congratulations to the people of Bengal for giving a historic mandate to the BJP in the West Bengal Assembly elections," he said on X.