SP MP Awadhesh Prasad: Bengal poll result signals drift to dictatorship
Synopsis
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad has called the BJP's sweeping West Bengal victory — 206 of 293 seats declared — a sign that India is drifting toward dictatorship, levelling serious allegations against the Election Commission's impartiality and claiming widespread polling irregularities. The result ends over 15 years of TMC rule under Mamata Banerjee.
Key Takeaways
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad alleged on Tuesday that West Bengal poll results indicate India is "moving towards dictatorship".
Prasad questioned the Election Commission of India's impartiality, calling it no longer independent.
He alleged large-scale vote rigging , deletion of voters' names, and sidelining of state police during polling.
The BJP won 206 seats out of 293 declared , against TMC's 81 , in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly .
BJP's vote share stood at 46% ; TMC trailed at 41% .
Repolling in the Falta seat (South 24 Parganas) is scheduled for 21 May , with counting on 24 May .
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad on Tuesday alleged that the outcome of the West Bengal Assembly elections signals that India is "moving towards a dictatorship", raising sharp concerns over the health of democratic institutions and the impartiality of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Speaking from Ayodhya, Prasad made the remarks in an interview with IANS.
What Awadhesh Prasad Said
"Looking at the results of the Bengal elections, it seems that the country is moving towards dictatorship. It appears that democracy and the Constitution are in danger," Awadhesh Prasad said. He further questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, arguing that a democracy's strength is directly tied to the independence of its electoral body.
"The success of democracy in any country can be judged by how impartial and independent the Election Commission is. However, it is unfortunate that developments over the past year suggest that the Commission is no longer impartial or independent," he added.
Allegations of Polling Irregularities
Prasad also levelled allegations of irregularities in the conduct of polling, claiming that a large number of state police personnel were sidelined while voting was conducted under central forces. He further alleged large-scale vote rigging and deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls — claims that have not been independently verified.
Referring to protests by outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prasad noted that concerns over voter list revisions had been raised earlier. He alleged that such practices were first observed during the Ayodhya by-election and were subsequently replicated in West Bengal — a comparison he drew without providing supporting evidence.
BJP's Historic Win in West Bengal
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive majority in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, where the majority mark stands at 148. Results were declared for 293 constituencies on Monday, with repolling scheduled in the Falta seat of South 24 Parganas district on 21 May, as announced by the ECI. Counting for that seat is due on 24 May.
The BJP won 206 seats, comfortably outpacing the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which managed just 81 seats. The Indian National Congress (Congress) won 2 seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) won 1, while the AISF and the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) secured 1 and 2 seats respectively.
Vote Share Breakdown
In terms of vote share, the BJP polled 46%, followed by the TMC at 41%. The Left Front secured 4%, the Congress 3%, and others — including AISF and AJUP — accounted for 6%. The result marks a significant political shift in a state that had been under TMC rule for over 15 years under Mamata Banerjee, one of the most vocal critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What Comes Next
With the BJP now commanding a strong majority in West Bengal, the focus shifts to government formation and whether the Opposition's allegations of electoral irregularities will prompt any formal inquiry. The repolling in Falta on 21 May remains the last piece of the electoral puzzle, and its outcome — though unlikely to alter the overall result — will be closely watched.
Point of View
Institutions are blamed. But the scale of the BJP's West Bengal win, 206 seats on 46% vote share, makes it harder to dismiss as purely a product of rigging. The more consequential question is whether the ECI will formally address the specific allegations of voter list deletions and police sidelining, or allow them to fester. West Bengal has a long history of electoral violence and booth capture across political regimes — this result, regardless of its legitimacy, will reshape the state's political calculus for years.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did SP MP Awadhesh Prasad say about the West Bengal election results?
Awadhesh Prasad alleged that the West Bengal election outcome signals India is moving towards dictatorship, and raised concerns about the Election Commission's impartiality. He also claimed there were widespread polling irregularities, including voter list deletions and the sidelining of state police.
How many seats did the BJP win in West Bengal?
The BJP won 206 seats out of 293 declared in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, well above the majority mark. The TMC won 81 seats, Congress 2, CPI-M 1, AISF 1, and AJUP 2.
What is the vote share breakdown in the West Bengal election?
The BJP polled 46% of the vote, followed by TMC at 41%. The Left Front secured 4%, Congress 3%, and others including AISF and AJUP accounted for 6%.
When is repolling scheduled in the Falta seat?
Repolling in the Falta seat of South 24 Parganas district is scheduled for 21 May, with vote counting due on 24 May, as announced by the Election Commission of India.
How long did the TMC govern West Bengal before this election?
The Trinamool Congress, under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, governed West Bengal for over 15 years before the BJP's decisive victory in this election.
