Derek O’Brien challenges turnout claims, accuses Shah of ‘fake narrative’

Derek O'Brien of the All India Trinamool Congress on Friday accused Union Home minister Amit Shah of attempting to create a “fake narrative” around the high voter turnout recorded in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

In a post on X, O’Brien argued that although the turnout percentage appeared higher in 2026, the actual number of votes cast had marginally declined compared to the 2021 elections.

He said that in 2021, the 152 constituencies that went to polls in the first phase had around 3.67 crore electors, of whom approximately 3.10 crore voted, resulting in a turnout of about 84 per cent. In contrast, after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the total electorate in 2026 fell to around 3.33 crore, with 3.09 crore votes cast — translating into a turnout of roughly 92.7 per cent.

According to O’Brien, this indicates that despite the higher percentage, the total number of votes cast in 2026 was lower by over 83,000. He attributed the rise in turnout percentage to the reduced number of registered voters rather than increased participation.

His remarks came shortly after Shah, speaking at a press conference in Kolkata, said that voters in West Bengal had “broken all records” and shown strong enthusiasm for change, citing turnout figures exceeding 92 per cent.

O’Brien also took aim at Narendra Modi, challenging him to resign if the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, retained power when results are declared on 4 May.

Meanwhile, Shah expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would secure a majority in the state, predicting that it would win more than 110 of the 152 seats contested in the first phase.

The remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal are scheduled to go to the polls on 29 April, with counting set for early May.

With IANS inputs