On Friday, Suvendu Adhikari really increased the intensity of the political fighting in West Bengal by saying Banerjee’s late night visit to the counting center was simply ‘showy’ and dismissing her allegations about the EVMs being tampered with. He believes these displays won’t change the outcome and is predicting a BJP government for the state as counting gets closer.
Adhikari spoke to reporters at the BJP office in Bhabanipur, saying the chief minister could continue with “antics” like these for another two days, but the final result will be the same. He said Banerjee is acting like this because she’s desperate.
Adhikari’s charge and predicted outcome
The opposition leader said Banerjee went to the counting centre in a vehicle that had a bathroom and stayed for four hours. He said this was nothing more than a performance, and any attempt to change the vote count won’t work.
He insists that a change is happening, and “everyone knows it.” He says we’ll have the exact numbers by the afternoon of May 4th and that the BJP is going to form the government in West Bengal.
Adhikari’s electoral positioning
Adhikari is running against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, and also trying to get re-elected from Nandigram in the Purba Medinipur district. He says Banerjee is about to lose power.
Here are the key statements made by the rival camps today:
– Adhikari called Banerjee’s visit pure ‘dramabazi’
– He said the verdict would not change
– Banerjee warned against any counting irregularities
– BJP and TMC supporters had face-offs in Kolkata
Banerjee’s visit to counting centre and warning
On Thursday evening, Banerjee went to the counting centre for the Bhabanipur Assembly area because she suspected the EVMs had been tampered with and didn’t leave until after midnight. She said that only one person should be allowed in the specific place where the votes are counted.
With a serious tone before the counting begins, Banerjee said they won’t allow anyone to interfere with the counting process. The counting centre is at Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, and what she said created a very tense expectation for the days leading up to the final count.
Protests and tensions in Kolkata
At the same time, TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja started a protest right at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata. They said there were problems and that the EVMs in the strongrooms where they are stored might have been tampered with.
This protest led to confrontations between TMC and BJP supporters. This conflict shows how important the counting is and how both parties are trying to control the story before the final numbers are revealed.
Why this confrontation matters
The conflicting claims are setting the atmosphere for counting day. Allegations of EVM tampering from the current government are causing people to look at things more carefully. The opposition’s dismissal of it all as a show is showing they are confident and trying to appear to be gaining support.
These signals affect the spirits and activity of voters and party workers. For the people in charge of the counting, having very clear rules at the centres is even more important. For both sides, how things are seen from now until the total is announced this afternoon could be the deciding factor.
These are the major developments to track as counting proceeds:
– Access rules inside counting areas
– Movement of EVMs from strongrooms
– Crowd control outside key venues
– Official clarification on allegations
What to watch next
Adhikari said we will have the numbers by the afternoon of May 4th. His prediction of a BJP government makes the outcome even more important for both sides. Banerjee’s warning puts more pressure on the counting to be done openly and be very well organised.
Right now, everyone is looking at how counting centres will control who has access and how things are checked. What happens at Bhabanipur and the locations in north Kolkata will be carefully observed. Because both sides are so determined, the final numbers will determine how the story of the election is told.
