Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday trashed exit poll results, saying they were conducted to “manipulate the stock market,” and told party colleagues — including counting agents — in a virtual address that Trinamool “is winning and winning by 200-plus seats.“Banerjee urged counting agents not to leave their tables even for a minute without a replacement and advised them not to be anxious if postal ballot results initially go against the party.She and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee repeatedly stressed the manner in which “BJP was using the Election Commission” and alleged that party workers and supporters were being selectively targeted. Banerjee said she would reward workers who had “withstood these attacks fearlessly and fought back,” while also making clear that all such actions against Trinamool would be pursued legally.Turning on the election observers, the CM was quoted by a party functionary as saying: “Observers, police observers (are) thinking after May 4 they will run away to UP or other states from where they have come. We will drag each one of you to court for indulging in unconstitutional acts.” She also alleged that the now-suspended Kalighat OC had hit women and children.Abhishek too was unsparing. “Not a single general observer or police observer would get away. We will take legal action against each one of them who indulged in anti-constitutional acts. Rajeev Kumar has also been given responsibility for Dum Dum Barrackpore,” a party MP quoted him as saying.On the repolls held on Saturday in South 24 Parganas, Abhishek was quoted as saying: “Despite doing everything, they were forced to do repolling. They will lose again despite using all their might, including agencies and forces. All rules changed. BJP is working as the EC. On the ground, it was Trinamool vs. central forces. BJP is attempting to threaten our people, particularly women, through central forces. They didn’t spare kids.“Trinamool said on X the meeting “comprehensively familiarised our counting agents with the process while urging them to remain cautious, vigilant, and diligent. The people of Bengal have voted decisively in favor of development, in favor of joraful, and now it is our collective responsibility to ensure that their democratic mandate is protected, defended, and counted without compromise.”On counting day, Abhishek will oversee South 24 Parganas. In Kolkata, Mayor Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas will coordinate, while north Kolkata will be handled by Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kunal Ghosh, Vivek Gupta and Swapan Samaddar.
