Kolkata: The wheel turned full circle for Mamata Banerjee on Monday.
The woman in a white cotton saree and hawai chappal shook up Indian politics by leading Trinamool Congress (TMC) to a resounding victory in the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections, thus ending the Left Front’s 34-year rule in the state.
Mamata and TMC established themselves firmly on the Bengal throne, and went on to win the 2016 and 2021 elections with close to three-fourths majority – 211 and 215 seats, respectively – beating off the challenge of a rising BJP.
On 4th May, 2026, the tide turned 360 degrees. The final results are still awaited, but the BJP has won by a thumping two-thirds majority. Of the 293 constituencies for which counting is being held on Monday, BJP has already won 146 and is leading in 62 (total winning/TMC is down to 53 wins and 23 leads (79 winning/leading) as of 8.45 pm.
Despite such a decisive mandate against her party, Mamata refused to accept it and cried foul.
She alleged that it was an “immoral” victory for the BJP.
“More than 100 seats, the BJP looted. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agarwal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot,” Mamata fumed.
“We will bounce back,” the Bengal CM added.
Mamata, who went over to the counting centre of her constituency after more and more results and trends started going against TMC, also claimed that she was beaten by BJO workers.
“The BJP party has been beating us… From 3 pm onwards, they have been beating us. I was hit. CCTV was switched off. None of our agents was allowed inside (the counting centre). The DO assured me our agents would be allowed, but after that, he was not available anywhere. I complained everywhere,” she stated.
#WATCH | Kolkata | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “More than 100 seats BJP looted. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not… pic.twitter.com/q0zelygU23
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026
Earlier in the afternoon, Mamata had claimed that the party would come into power by the evening.
In a one-and-a-half minute video that she posted on X, the three-time chief minister said 14 to 18 rounds of counting was still to be held, and urged party supporters not to lose hope.