‘No need to be afraid’: Mamata tells TMC vote counters; ensure ‘win after sunset’

New Delhi: Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee A video message was posted on Monday for TMCEarly trends seem to point to the rise of the BJP across the state and said there was “no need to feel depressed” as only two to three rounds of elections have been completed and more than 15 rounds are yet to be completed.Instructing party candidates and vote counters not to leave the vote centres, Mamata said her party would win after sunset and “there is no need for anyone to be afraid”.Mamata, who is seeking a fourth term in the Straits, accused the Election Commission of foul play and alleged that the BJP planned to demonstrate its superiority first.Mamata claimed: “They have stopped counting at many places. Such a machine was found in Kalyani where there is no opponent; central forces from all sides are committing atrocities against the TMC.” Mamata reiterated her allegation of “votes stolen through SIR”, saying the TMC was “leading by more than 100 seats but this was not reported”.“They are trying to steal votes through SIR and even now, we are leading by more than 100 seats but it is not reported. Everything reported is wrong. The Election Commission is doing exactly what they want and the central forces are also cooperating with them. The police are also cooperating with the central forces,” she claimed. She also added: “I tell party members, there is no need to be discouraged, you will win after sunset. The counting of 2-4 rounds has already been carried out, and when the counting reaches 14-18 rounds, we will win. There is no need for anyone to be afraid.”In the West Bengal elections, early counting trends point to a strong rise by the Bharatiya Janata Party, with the party crossing a 148-seat majority at various stages during the counting process and leading in more than 180 constituencies. Meanwhile, the TMC is lagging significantly behind with preliminary tally hovering around 90 seats. The figures point to a possible shift in the political landscape in the state, which has been dominated by the TMC for more than a decade.