West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP on Sunday accusing the party of “cheating” to win the Lok Sabha elections.

“In Lok Sabha elections they won by cheating—by using EVMs, CRPF and Election Commission.They just got 18 seats, by getting few seats they are trying to capture our party offices and beating our people,” Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The BJP made massive gains in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats, a nine-fold rise from its 2014 tally of two. The Trinamool’s seat tally came down from 34 in the 2014 to 22 this time

The Trinamool supremo was addressing thousands who gathered for her rally in Kolkata on ‘Martyrs Day’. She had accused the BJP-led central government of trying to foil the rally.

Mamata Banerjee said she will ask the Election Commission to conduct the panchayat and panchayat elections in Bengal through ballot paper. She had earlier called for a return of ballot papers in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The Trinamool Congress holds the ‘Martyrs’ Day’ rally in Kolkata every year on July 21 in the memory of 13 Youth Congress activists who were killed in police firing in 1993 on this day. Mamata Banerjee was a Youth Congress leader during that period.

Today is the historic #21JulyShahidDibas. On this day, 26 years ago, 13 youth workers were killed in police firing. Since then, we observe this day as #ShahidDibas. My heartfelt tribute to all the martyrs who were killed during the 34 years of Left rule 1/2

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 21, 2019

First Published: Jul 21, 2019 13:24 IST