Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) Trinamool Congress supremo and the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has convened a crucial organisational meeting of the party at her residence at Kalighat in South Kolkata on Friday to review the reasons for the landslide defeat of her party in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls.
The meeting will be attended by the party’s candidates, both elected and defeated, in 294 Assembly constituencies, as well as some senior leaders of the party, as confirmed by a former minister who was re-elected this time despite the landslide defeat of his party.
On May 4, the results for 293 of 294 Assembly constituencies were announced. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won from 207 seats, the Trinamool Congress’s tally was reduced to 80.
The repolling for the entire Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district will be on May 21, and its results will be declared on May 24.
In the meeting later in the day, there will also be discussions on the strategy to be adopted for the repolling in Falta, the party MLA said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress general secretary and the party’s Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, has made a social media statement along with a video message on Thursday night, alleging the results this time did not reflect the true people’s mandate because of massive poll-misappropriations, especially on the counting day, with active assistance from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel deployed at the counting centres.
“Our candidates and counting agents were forcibly removed in several places, while the counting process was effectively controlled by Central government employees,” said Banerjee, the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, in his social media post.
He also claimed that after the results, West Bengal witnessed shocking post-poll violence despite repeated promises of protection by the Centre. “Central forces remained mute spectators as our workers, offices, and homes were attacked and set ablaze,” he added.
He ended his message with a call to the Trinamool Congress activists not to get disheartened and rise against all odds in fighting the prevailing difficult situation.
“Stay united. Stay on the ground. Continue serving the people with courage, discipline, and positivity. Our fight will continue with unwavering determination and faith in democracy,” Abhishek Banerjee added.
–IANS
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