Mamata Banerjee issued a video message on Thursday telling party ranks that the exit polls were BJP-sponsored and that she would surpass her target of 226 seats and form the government again.

She warned of possible hanky-panky during the counting, asking Trinamool workers to guard the strong rooms — where the EVMs are kept — and the counting centres 24x7 from now till the end of counting on May 4 evening.

A BJP polling agent allegedly entered Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, which hosts eight strong rooms, on Thursday evening, triggering charges of impropriety since other parties’ representatives were not present.

Trinamool leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh rushed to the spot and protested but Kolkata North DEO Smita Pandey denied the allegations.

Mamata visited Shakhawat Memorial, the school that now houses the strongrooms of her Bhabanipur constituency, in the evening and alleged after emerging past midnight that she had “information” there was an attempt to tamper with EVMs. She was at the centre for close to four hours.

Mamata said the four-day gap between polling and counting was “for some motivation”, adding “my ishara (indication) is kaafi (enough)”.

In the video earlier in the day, Mamata's message to her party’s counting agents on how they should work on May 4 was: “If you need to go to the washroom or eat, make someone else take your place, someone reliable, someone who cannot be purchased with money. Only then you go, or don’t go... and for no longer than two minutes….”

Most exit polls on Wednesday had projected narrow BJP wins though a couple gave Trinamool comfortable majorities. On Thursday, Today’s Chanakya gave the BJP 192 seats and Trinamool, 100.

In her 545-second video on Thursday, the chief minister greeted the major communities in Bengal, wishing everyone well.

“We are most grateful to you for how you voted by queuing in such challenging heat, withstanding all sorts of torture... and to my workers as well, who had to withstand atrocities from the central forces and the forces here, from the total machinery of the Government of India... the Prime Minister, the Union home minister, and BJP leadership from 19 (NDA-ruled) states,” she said in Bengali.

“I want to fully assure you that what is being shown on TV — a message at 1.08pm yesterday, from the BJP office, was circulated. It was paid for, so that it gets shown. This specific information I got from a section of the media.

“It can be seen that they are being told that this must be done ‘forcefully’, there must be no deviation. Do you know the reason? We might actually get 230 (seats). We are crossing 226 in 2026.”

Mamata accused the central forces and the “new cops appointed”, who weren’t “in (her) hands”, of beating women and children.

“The gentleman killed in Udaynarayanpur (allegedly after being roughed up by the central forces) — I do not have the words to condole his death.... But we will stand by the family. TMC workers, even journalists, were beaten up.... In Bhabanipur, for instance, where I was.

“Many of those who did not yield or leave out of fear, and stood firm and worked for Trinamool, were arrested. Such as in Bhatpara, Jagaddal, Noapara — many places. Even here, in Bhabanipur, (there were) all-night raids.

“...After trying everything, the BJP could not deprive people of their right. That is why this shesh khyala (final game) by the BJP through the media, so that the morale of our workers is dented.

“There will be a crash in the share markets if the truth comes out. That is why, to give consolation to the share markets — I have specific information — they did this. The same thing happened... in 2021.”

Mamata said she would herself help guard the strong rooms and counting centres.

“If necessary, I personally will do the same in my area. All 294 candidates — including those of Anit (Thapa) in Darjeeling — must do this personally. Get workers to stand guard all day, you yourselves stand guard all night.

“If I can, all of you can. Stay up all night, hand over to a different team during the daytime. Because when EVMs are taken from the strong rooms to the counting centres, they have plans to swap them.”

Mamata asked her party managers to appoint the most appropriate people as counting agents, so that nobody left the counting tables until she had held a news conference on May 4 evening.

“Remember, what is counted at the tables could be changed by them during the upload to the database — (they could) give our tally to the BJP and give the BJP’s to us. Watch out for that. I will personally visit (the) counting centres,” she said.

“Be calm, be restrained, maintain peace. Have faith in your Didi. Have faith in the people of Bengal.... Even if they attack or provoke, do not counterattack,” she added.

“I know a lot of assaults took place in Behala last night, in many places. The way blood was shed at Bhangar... they will have to answer. We will make arrangements. You need not take the law into your own hands.

“I will tell the administration that you have shown a lot of khel so far at the BJP’s behest; please do not try to beat up our people, or the people of any party, or the people in general. Enough beating has taken place, no more.”

Mamata said the BJP did not have agents for the booths, so it had deployed the central forces as its agents. “Amit Shah’s direct interference... this simply cannot be done. Prime Minister, while the polling was still on at 4.30pm, how did he say that the whole of Bengal was his?” she said.

Mamata alleged the rampant use of cash for votes.

“Giving ₹3,000 in envelopes to people, I have that information too. Those who took money made a big mistake, but we will not misunderstand you ...,” she said.