Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, alleging that the Centre had appointed “BJP men” in the commission to manipulate the voters’ list in a bid to win elections.

Her remarks triggered a sharp political counter from BJP’s national spokesperson and Darjeeling MP, Raju Bista.

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Miss Banerjee claimed that the BJP had secured victories in Maharashtra and even in Delhi with the “blessings” of the Election Commission, as BJP-backed officials were posted there.

“We are not Delhi or Maharashtra. We are Bengal. They couldn’t detect the tricks, but we will. It’s our challenge,” she said. Accusing the BJP of plotting to capture Bengal through “ghost” voters, she alleged: “Voters from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Bihar have been added to electoral rolls using EPIC numbers from Bengal. Voters from Murshidabad will be relocated to North and South 24-Parganas. Leaders in Murshidabad must stay alert.”

Responding to the allegations, BJP’s national spokesperson Raju Bista said, “When the Prime Minister himself oversees the appointments, he has the right to select officials, and everyone must accept it. It’s not possible to appoint Mamata Banerjee’s trusted chief secretary there.”

Speaking to reporters in Siliguri, Mr Bista added: “This will be the first time Mamata Banerjee, a three-term chief minister, will face defeat in West Bengal. What she has done in three terms is worse than the 34-year regime of the CPI-M. This meeting is nothing but a preparatory exercise for her defeat in 2026.”

On the issue of the Election Commission, Mr Bista said: “The BJP is not in power in Jharkhand, Telangana, or Karnataka — all elections are conducted by the same commission. If the commission had really favoured us, wouldn’t we have won and formed the government in Bengal in 2021?”

Exuding confidence, Mr Bista repeatedly asserted: “Before June 2026, a BJP leader will be sworn in as the chief minister of West Bengal.”

Taking a dig at Miss Banerjee’s alleged appeasement politics, he added: “She starts counting from 30 per cent, but we BJP start counting from 70 per cent.”