The counting of votes began in West Bengal with the Election Commission saying they will immediately do something about any violent victory parties or if the power goes out and stops the counting. The TMC and BJP are competing for 293 seats, and pictures from the election are still in people’s minds, for example, Modi eating jhalmuri, and Rahul Gandhi riding a bike in Kerala.
EC flags flashpoints, ramps up oversight
The Commission has identified two things that could really throw the day off: disturbances connected to rallies after the results, and power failures at the places where the votes are being counted. Celebrations aren’t completely banned, but officials have said they won’t tolerate anything that interrupts the counting.
Key instructions outlined by the Commission include:
– Keep celebrations peaceful and strictly controlled
– Ensure uninterrupted electricity at all centres
– Act fast on any sign of disorder
The fear of the electricity going off isn’t just a worry without reason. Because of weather warnings about thunderstorms in many areas, officials had emergency meetings. They have told the power companies and the police to protect the counting locations and have backup power lines available to prevent interruptions.
High stakes in Bengal amid charged memories
This caution comes from bad experiences recently. During last year’s Kaliganj by-election, an eight-year-old girl was killed by a bomb blast, supposedly at a victory parade. Officials are sadly remembering that incident.
And the anxiety about the power going out makes people think of Nandigram in 2021. People accused others of changing the vote count during a power outage, which caused a big political fight. That case is still in the Calcutta High Court, so everyone is paying close attention to how things are organized and how open the process is today.
Rivals map counting-day playbooks
Mamata Banerjee, who is currently in power, had a late-night meeting at her home in Kalighat. People within the TMC said she told those watching the EVM (electronic voting machine) data being put into the system to watch carefully and not to eat food from people they don’t know. More than 40 observers have been sent to different areas to supervise each round of counting.
The BJP has set up command centers in Kolkata and Delhi, and leaders from the national party are supervising what’s happening in the districts. Samik Bhattacharya, the head of the BJP in the state, asked for calm, saying the violence that happened after previous elections must not happen again.
People on the ground are sounding confident. Suvendu Adhikari told his party’s people to be aware of what’s happening and said he believes the BJP will get enough votes to win. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress said that if the TMC thinks they are going to lose, they might cause problems, especially in Murshidabad. Mohammed Salim of the CPI(M) pointed out that some of the VVPAT (verifiable voter paper audit trail) slips were scattered in Noapara, and he asked about how secure the strong rooms are.
Campaign optics still frame the narrative
Throughout the long campaign, pictures were important. Prime Minister Modi was seen enjoying jhalmuri in West Bengal, and Rahul Gandhi rode a bicycle in Kerala. Mamata Banerjee stopping at a market to buy vegetables, and Modi hugging a boatman, quickly became ways of describing how each party was trying to show they are in touch with ordinary people.
Early this morning, you could get a feel for how things were going. The TMC office in Kolkata was quiet, even as the BJP headquarters in Delhi began preparing puri and jalebi. This doesn’t mean anything yet, but it shows what people are expecting and how they feel.
What to watch next
Officials think they’ll have a clearer idea of the results by noon. The counting might be delayed because of stricter checks and because the votes are being counted in many stages. Security is very strong, and districts are ready to deal with any trouble or power cut quickly.
The outcome of the election is hugely important. The TMC says they are going to win a large number of seats, more than 200. The BJP says a change in government is possible. The Left-Congress alliance are trying to become important again. Votes are also being counted in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, but it’s likely that the very close race in West Bengal will be the main story of the day.
