Mamata plans sit-in over alleged post-poll violence and electoral irregularities

Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is set to return to the streets for the first time since the Assembly election results were announced on 4 May. On Tuesday, 2 June, she is expected to stage a sit-in protest at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Dharmatala, Kolkata, alleging widespread electoral irregularities and post-poll violence following her party's defeat.

According to Trinamool Congress sources, an application seeking permission for the programme has already been submitted to Kolkata Police. However, approval has not yet been granted, raising uncertainty over whether the demonstration will be allowed to proceed. Party leaders remain hopeful that permission will be received in time.

If approved, the protest is scheduled to begin at 10 am and continue throughout the day. Mamata Banerjee is expected to join the gathering later in the afternoon, alongside senior party leaders, workers and supporters.

The Trinamool chief has repeatedly alleged that the BJP prevented the true democratic verdict from being reflected in the election results. She has claimed that polling agents were removed from counting centres, winning positions were reversed and electoral outcomes were manipulated in numerous constituencies.

Following the declaration of results, Banerjee argued that her party had not been defeated by the will of the people. She claimed that the Trinamool Congress should have won between 220 and 230 seats but that the outcome was altered in at least 150 constituencies. She has also demanded a detailed report on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used during the election.

The Assembly election dealt a severe blow to the Trinamool Congress, which secured only 80 seats. The BJP went on to form the government with a commanding majority. Mamata Banerjee herself lost the Bhabanipur constituency to BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari by 15,105 votes. Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister on 9 May. The BJP also recently won the Falta Assembly seat by a significant margin.

Banerjee has also accused the BJP government of carrying out widespread post-poll violence across the state. According to Trinamool leaders, party workers and supporters have been assaulted, party offices have been occupied or vandalised, and thousands of workers have been arrested in what they describe as politically motivated cases. The party has also alleged that BJP supporters have created an atmosphere of fear in several districts.

Speaking after the Falta election result, Banerjee used a Facebook Live broadcast to voice her concerns. She alleged that votes had been "looted" and claimed that between 2,000 and 2,500 Trinamool workers had been arrested. She further criticised the government over the removal of hawkers from railway station areas and alleged that several Trinamool party offices had been demolished.

"The law is the same for everyone. If you had truly won, you would not have resorted to such oppression,” Banerjee said.

While Mamata Banerjee prepares to lead the Kolkata protest, Trinamool's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has begun a separate outreach campaign aimed at meeting party workers affected by post-poll violence. On Saturday, he is scheduled to meet workers from the Beleghata and Sonarpur South Assembly constituencies before travelling to Birbhum on 2 June to meet others who claim to have been affected by the unrest.

TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh said, “The June campaign marks the beginning of a broader effort by Mamata Banerjee to rebuild and strengthen the organisation following its electoral defeat. After holding a series of meetings with party leaders at her Kalighat residence, she is now expected to travel to various districts across West Bengal in the coming weeks.”

The Trinamool Congress is currently facing pressure on multiple fronts. Since the election, several councillors from municipalities across the state have resigned, while some Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillors have stepped down from administrative positions. Internal dissatisfaction has also emerged, with some party leaders openly questioning the role of Abhishek Banerjee in the election campaign.

Adding to the party's challenges, Trinamool has not yet been officially recognised as the Opposition in the Assembly because the required documents have not been submitted. Political observers believe the leadership is facing both organisational and political difficulties as it seeks to regroup after its worst electoral performance in years.

Against this backdrop, Mamata Banerjee's planned sit-in protest is being viewed as a significant political move and the beginning of a renewed campaign to unite party workers, challenge the BJP government and re-establish the Trinamool Congress as a strong opposition force in West Bengal.