We lost before SC, not BJP: Abhishek Banerjee dares govt, ECI to take action

• Abhishek Banerjee alleges poll irregularities, questions compliance with Supreme Court directions and claims EVMs were destroyed.

• TMC leader dares government and ECI to initiate legal proceedings over his allegations.

• Abhishek calls Rs 1.02 crore cash recovery from a Sarisha party office a 'scripted drama', alleges police misconduct.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the authorities over alleged irregularities surrounding the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Questioning the implementation of Supreme Court directions, the vote-counting process and the alleged destruction of electronic voting machines (EVMs), he challenged the authorities to initiate legal proceedings against him if they believed his allegations were false.

Speaking to journalists, Abhishek clarified that his criticism was directed not at the judiciary but at the government's alleged failure to respect and implement its directions. "We lost before the Supreme Court, not to the BJP. We believed that if the country's apex court issued a directive, the government would be bound to comply. Yet, the government failed to follow the court's instructions," he said.

Questioning the circumstances surrounding the counting process, the Diamond Harbour MP alleged that the Supreme Court had issued clear directions on 2 May requiring the participation of officials from both the state and central governments ahead of counting scheduled for 4 May. However, he claimed, not a single state government official was involved in the process.

"Vote counting was scheduled for the 4th. On the 2nd, the Supreme Court had explicitly directed that officials from both the state and central levels must participate in the process. However, not a single state official was involved in the counting," he alleged.

He also raised concerns over the alleged destruction of EVMs shortly after the elections, questioning why the matter had not received adequate judicial scrutiny.

"The BJP secured victory through electoral fraud, and within a month, all the EVMs were destroyed. Yet, the court did not even take note of this. What kind of country are we living in? Is this the nation Gandhiji dreamt of? The BJP has torn this country apart," Abhishek said.

Daring the government and the ECI to initiate legal proceedings against him, he said he was prepared to defend himself and wanted the entire process to be broadcast live.

"If the government or the Election Commission of India chooses to initiate legal proceedings against me suo motu, let them do so. I will defend myself. Let the people of this country witness it all with their own eyes; let the entire legal process be broadcast live," he said.

His remarks come amid another controversy over the recovery of over Rs 1 crore from an old TMC party office in Sarisha, Diamond Harbour. Dismissing the incident as politically motivated, Abhishek described the police operation as "scripted drama" and questioned why the authorities had taken several months to recover the money from premises that had allegedly already been investigated.

Questioning the timing of the recovery, he said: "This complaint was submitted five-and-a-half months ago. Now, the police suddenly claim that Rs 1 crore has been recovered from a crime scene which had already been investigated and remained under their supervision and control. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Abhishek went on to accuse the Diamond Harbour police of bringing the cash to the premises in the vehicle of the inspector-in-charge. He claimed that CCTV footage showed money being brought to the premises in the officer's black Mahindra XUV300 between 1.00 and 3.00 am on 3-4 November.

"I have video evidence of your arrival there. Your vehicle was parked at the spot, and bags of money were unloaded. Go ahead and file a case against me. I will submit the footage before the court," Abhishek challenged.

He further alleged that the operation had been directed by the Diamond Harbour superintendent of police and warned that he would approach both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court.

The MP also levelled allegations against rival TMC faction leader Ritabrata Banerjee, claiming that the police had facilitated the preparation of an affidavit while Ritabrata was inside a police station. Calling the document fraudulent, Abhishek said he had video evidence that he intended to submit to the Supreme Court and the ECI.

"Listen closely, Ritabrata Banerjee. It is not just the video from Diamond Harbour. I also have footage showing the police filling out your affidavit while you were inside the police station. This video will be submitted to the Supreme Court and the Election Commission," he said.

Ritabrata Banerjee and TMC leader Riju Dutta rejected Abhishek's allegations and urged him to release the purported footage publicly.