ECI rejects Mamata Banerjee's vote-count fraud claims in Bhabanipur
Synopsis
Hours after Mamata Banerjee alleged vote-count fraud and claimed she was physically jostled inside the Bhabanipur counting centre, the Election Commission's district office fired back — calling every allegation baseless, confirming CCTVs were never switched off, and revealing it was Banerjee herself who briefly halted the count.
Key Takeaways
ECI's DEO office (Kolkata Dakshin) on Tuesday evening rejected all allegations of counting misappropriation in Bhabanipur as "baseless and fabricated." Mamata Banerjee lost Bhabanipur to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of over 15,000 votes .
The DEO's office confirmed that CCTVs at the counting centre were never switched off , contradicting Banerjee's claims.
Officials stated the counting was briefly halted on Monday evening because Banerjee herself insisted on stopping it , and was later resumed after due intimation.
Adhikari also won from his native Nandigram constituency in East Midnapore district.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday evening firmly rejected allegations by outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that her defeat in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency was the result of counting misappropriation at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls College in South Kolkata, where votes were counted on Monday. Banerjee had lost the seat to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
ECI's Official Rebuttal
Within hours of Banerjee's press conference on Tuesday, the office of the District Electoral Officer (DEO) of Kolkata (Dakshin) — the jurisdiction under which Bhabanipur falls — issued a formal statement calling her allegations
Point of View
It significantly undermines her narrative. Banerjee's defeat in Bhabanipur, a constituency she had cultivated as a personal stronghold, is a major political blow, and the fraud allegations risk looking like a post-defeat salvage operation rather than a credible institutional complaint.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mamata Banerjee allege about the Bhabanipur counting?
Mamata Banerjee alleged at a press conference on Tuesday that her defeat in Bhabanipur was the result of counting misappropriation at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls College in South Kolkata. She also claimed that CCTVs at the counting centre were switched off and that she was physically jostled inside the venue.
How did the Election Commission respond to Mamata Banerjee's allegations?
The DEO office of Kolkata (Dakshin) issued a formal statement within hours calling all of Banerjee's allegations baseless and fabricated. It confirmed the counting was conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner as per ECI guidelines.
Were the CCTVs at the Bhabanipur counting centre switched off?
According to the DEO's official statement, the CCTVs were never switched off during the counting process. The office described Banerjee's claims to the contrary as a "figment of imagination."
By how many votes did Suvendu Adhikari defeat Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur?
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency by a margin of over 15,000 votes. Adhikari also won separately from his native Nandigram constituency in East Midnapore district.
Why was the Bhabanipur vote count briefly halted on Monday?
According to the DEO's statement, the counting was halted for a period on Monday evening because Mamata Banerjee herself insisted on stopping it. The process was later resumed after she was duly intimated under applicable guidelines.
