TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday strongly criticised the outcome of the West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging widespread irregularities as results showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heading for a decisive victory. Speaking to reporters, Mamata accused the Election Commission of bias, referring to it as the "BJP Commission". She alleged that more than 100 seats had been "looted".

"Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory," she said. "Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back."

She added that she had raised complaints with officials but claimed no action had been taken.

At the time of her remarks, the BJP had won 114 seats and was leading in 92, marking a major breakthrough in a state where it had not previously formed a government.The resultends the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress.

In theBhabhanipur constituency,Mamata was trailing by 554 votes after 16 rounds of counting, with four more rounds remaining. Her rival there is Suvendu Adhikari, a former ally who defeated her in Nandigram in the 2021 election and is contesting from both seats this time.

The election saw record participation, with turnout reaching 93.16% in the first phase and 91% in the second. The overall turnout exceeded 92%, the highest recorded in the state and across India.

In New Delhi,Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailedthe result as a major victory for his party. Addressing supporters at the BJP headquarters, he recalled a remark he had made after the Bihar election results last year. "Last year, on November 14th – when the election results for Bihar were declared – I stood right here, at the BJP Headquarters, and told you all that the River Ganga flows onward from Bihar all the way to Gangasagar. Today, with this victory in Bengal, the lotus has blossomed everywhere – from Gangotri to Gangasagar," he said.

Referring to the party’s success in Assam, where it secured a third consecutive term, he added: "Along with the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, too, has bestowed its abundant blessings; the people of Assam have placed their trust in the BJP for the third consecutive time."

Modi said the party’s electoral success was rooted in its focus on citizens. "Our mantra is ‘Nagarik Devo Bhava (The Citizen is God). We are dedicated to serving the public; that is precisely why the people are placing their utmost trust in the BJP," he said.

He described the outcome as a victory for democracy and the Constitution, adding: "From today, Bengal has become free from fear and imbued with the confidence of development."

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