'They want to rig elections': Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of ‘hooliganism', ‘terrorism’ in West Bengal

WEst Bengal chief government minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee on midweek accused the Bharatiya Janata company of attempting to "forcefully set up the election", as voting is underway for stage two of the state assembly elections.She accused the BJP of violence against her party workers, calling it “hooliganism" and said that the party is destroying the “festival of democracy” by doing such atrocities. Follow West Bengal election 2026 live updatesSpeaking to reporters, Banerjee showed a photo/video of a party worker, who she claims was beaten up by the BJP, saying, “Look how our worker was beaten up at night. Just look at this atrocity. What kind of hooliganism is going on? Voting does not happen like this. Voting happens peacefully.”Also Read: 'Hai dum?’: TMC MP's big challenge to PM Modi if Mamata wins in West Bengal“It is a festival of democracy. But they have completely ruined it. The intention is very clear that the BJP wants to forcefully rig the election. Our workers and people are ready to die, but they will not leave the place,” she added. She also accused the BJP of “bringing observers from outside” to the state, who she said are doing “terrorism.” Her comments come after Banerjee visited several polling booths in her Bhabanipur assembly constituency and alleged that central forces and election observers were acting at the behest of the BJP.“So many observers have come from outside. Whatever the BJP says, they are doing. Votes will be cast by voters, not by the police or security forces,” she said.She also alleged that all TMC party flags had been removed beforehand and claimed that outsiders were interfering with the polling process.Also Read: Why will central forces remain in West Bengal even after assembly elections?“Just look around, all our posters have been removed. Is this how polls take place? Some new people have recently been brought in, and they are doing whatever they want. They are doing terrorism,” she added. UP cop stirs panic in West BengalBanerjee’s comments come a day after deployment of Ajay Pal Sharma, an Uttar Pradesh IPS officer, in West Bengal for the 2026 Assembly polls.Popularly known as Uttar Pradesh's “encounter specialist”, Sharma was deployed as police observer for South 24 Parganas district and was seen warning TMC candidate Jehangir Khan's supporters against intimidating voters, stirring heated political debate between TMC and BJP.Also Read: Who is UP's ‘encounter specialist’ IPS Ajay Sharma, whose deployment in Bengal caused stirPolitical reactions poured in with some from BJP calling him the “Singham of UP Police” to some TMC leaders taking a jibe at him, asking him to “tone down the heroism.”While the BJP and the ECI said that Sharma has been deployed to ensure “free and fair voting” in the state, the Trinamool Congress and also Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the BJP is trying to tilt the vote in their favour by "deploying agents" to intimidate voters.Second phase of votingAfter a record-shattering voter turnout in the first phase, the second phase of voting has begun in West Bengal, covering nearly half of the state's total assembly seats, 142 (out of 294). The results will be announced on May 4.