Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, May 4: Hours before the counting of votes for the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee issued a late-night appeal to party workers, urging them to remain alert throughout the counting process.

In a social media post published after 1 a.m., she instructed supporters to stay vigilant and closely monitor developments. “Stay alert, be on guard, stay awake at night, and register complaints,” she wrote, asking party workers to actively watch over the counting arrangements.

Banerjee claimed that her party had received reports of planned power disruptions at multiple locations across the state, including areas in Hooghly, Nadia, Burdwan, and Kolkata. She further alleged irregularities such as temporary power cuts and CCTV disruptions near strongroom facilities where EVMs are stored.

She also instructed workers to immediately report any suspicious activity and demand access to CCTV footage if required. In her message, she suggested that such incidents were being orchestrated by the opposition, specifically naming the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Earlier on Sunday evening, Banerjee held a closed-door meeting with Trinamool Congress counting agents for the Bhabanipur constituency, where she is contesting against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

According to party sources, she issued detailed instructions to ensure strict monitoring inside counting centres until the final results are declared. She also expressed confidence in her party’s performance, stating that Trinamool Congress was expected to win decisively, even if early counting trends appeared favourable to the opposition.

Party insiders said she assured workers that while initial rounds might show fluctuations, the final outcome would ultimately be in favour of her party.