‘A machinery mandate’: Mamata seeks forensic examination of UP EVMs

Pointing to the increase in the Samajwadi Party’s vote share from 20 per cent in the 2017 elections to 37 per cent in 2022, Banerjee advised party chief Akhilesh Yadav to seek forensic examination of the EVMs. “Akhilesh Yadav should not lose heart and should seek a forensic examination of the EVMs instead,” said the CM, who campaigned for the SP chief in UP.

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the Assembly poll results in four states reflect the mood of the nation ahead of the 2024 LS polls, Banerjee said the BJP “was daydreaming.”

“The BJP’s win in four states does not reflect the popular mandate. It is the machinery mandate. Akhilesh should go to the people and challenge the counting process. If the EVMs are examined the actual result will come to light,” Banerjee said.

Also reacting to the party’s performance in the Goa Assembly polls where it failed to open its account, the CM said securing 5 per cent of the total vote share within 3 months of the launch of the TMC’s unit in the coastal state was “more than enough”.

She claimed that the BJP also tried to rig the Bengal Assembly polls by tampering with the EVMs. “They attempted to do the same thing in Bengal. The BJP did not win the people’s mandate, it won through manipulation of the machinery. No one knows what will happen in 2024. But the BJP might resort to similar tricks as they did in UP. It’s like writing a death certificate before you die or organising a rice feeding ceremony (annaprashan) before birth. There are still two years left for the general elections,” Banerjee said.

Harping on the need for a united Opposition with an eye on 2024, she said, “Akhilesh also had to fight against the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which gave an edge to the BJP. We, too, fought against the BJP, Congress and CPM in Bengal.”

She added that the regional parties should not depend on the Congress to play the lead Opposition role ahead of the next LS polls as it was losing its credibility after being routed in the Assembly polls. “I urge all political parties wanting to fight the BJP to come together. There is no point depending on the Congress. It once held power in the entire country through its sheer organisational strength but has now lost interest in taking the fight to the BJP. They are losing credibility. All regional parties should work together and a decision on this needs to be taken,” Banerjee added.

On the prospect of a national Opposition alliance against the BJP, she said, “If anyone contacts me, I would say I am interested. Let other parties unite and work together in the interest of building a coalition. I need not be involved in it. But I want all parties to come together. I want to see who takes the initiative in this regard.”

Speaking of the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which was the TMC’s alliance partner in the Goa polls, Banerjee said it should not have pledged the support of its winning MLAs to the BJP.

The BJP, which fell one short of the majority mark in the 40-member Goa Assembly, secured the support of the MGP as well as 3 winning Independent candidates to form the government.

Counting the positives from her party’s dismal Goa showing, Banerjee said, “We received 6 per cent votes in Goa within three months of launching our unit there. It was an alliance for the people.”

On the MGP pledging support of its MLAs to the BJP, she said, “It was up to them to decide.”