Samajwadi Party leader S.T. Hasan on Tuesday levelled serious allegations against the conduct of the West Bengal Assembly elections, claiming large-scale voter deletions and asserting that opposition disunity handed an advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Hasan alleged that the electoral process was marred by systemic irregularities that denied lakhs of citizens their right to vote.

Key Allegations on Voter Deletions

Hasan claimed that approximately 92 lakh voters had their names struck off the electoral rolls and that nearly 32 lakh people were subsequently deprived of their right to vote. "It certainly feels, given the manner in which votes were allegedly stolen during the election, the way around 92 lakh votes were struck off, and subsequently how nearly 32 lakh people were deprived of their right to vote, that we had realised then and there that Mamata Didi would not be able to return to power," he alleged.

Criticism of the Election Commission

The Samajwadi Party leader went further, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) failed to conduct impartial elections. "This victory belongs to both the BJP and the Election Commission," he remarked, directly questioning the neutrality of the poll body. His remarks represent one of the sharpest opposition attacks on the ECI in the aftermath of the Bengal results. Notably, the ECI has not yet responded publicly to these specific allegations.

Anti-Incumbency and Mamata Banerjee's Defeat

Hasan acknowledged that anti-incumbency may have contributed to the outcome, given that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been in power for over 15 years. However, he maintained that the scale of the defeat went beyond what natural anti-incumbency could explain. "Some level of anti-incumbency is natural when a leader has been Chief Minister for such a long time, but not to the extent that has been witnessed in this election," he said. He cast further doubt on the result, adding: "Whether Mamata Didi lost or was made to lose, the entire country knows what happened with her."

Opposition Unity and the Road Ahead

Hasan used the Bengal outcome as a broader warning to the opposition bloc, stressing that fragmentation among anti-BJP parties directly benefits the ruling party at the Centre. "If the opposition does not unite, the BJP will continue to benefit. The communal atmosphere in the country will cross all extremes," he warned. This comes amid ongoing debates within the INDIA alliance about coordination and seat-sharing ahead of future electoral contests. The Bengal result, according to Hasan, underscores the cost of disunity in a polarised electoral environment.