Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked members of his party and others toavoid “gloating” about the defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
“Put petty politics aside,” said the Opposition leader. “This is not about one party or another. This is about [India].”
In a social media post Gandhi added: “The theft of Assam and Bengal’s mandate is a big step forward by the [Bharatiya Janata Party] in its mission to destroy Indian democracy.”
The BJPwon 206 seats of the 294-member West Bengal Assembly – ending the TMC’s 15-year rule. As of 1.20 pm on Tuesday, the Hindutva party was alsoahead in one seat, where counting was still underway.
The TMC won 80 seats and the Congress, which had failed to open its account in the 2021 election, won two seats this time.
Some in the Congress, and others, are gloating about TMC’s loss.
They need to understand this clearly - the theft of Assam and Bengal’s mandate is a big step forward by the BJP in its mission to destroy Indian democracy.
Put petty politics aside. This is not about one party or…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2026 In Assam, the BJP will form the government for a third consecutive term, havingwon 82 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 102 seats.
On Monday, Gandhi alleged that the elections in Assam and West Bengal were“stolen” by the BJP with the support of the Election Commission.
He said that he agreed with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims of irregularities in the counting of votes on Monday, saying that “more than 100 seats were stolen” in the state.
Hours after the poll results became clear on Monday, Banerjee criticised the Election Commission, describing it as “the BJP’s commission” and alleged that the BJP had “looted more than 100 seats”.
The TMC chief also claimed that she had been “beaten” at a counting centre.
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Voter roll revision
The elections followed a special intensive revision of electoral rolls by the Election Commission across 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal.
Final rolls published in February initially excluded over 61 lakh voters, with the process continuing through supplementary lists and adjudication of about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases.
By April 6, about 91 lakh voters, nearly 11.9% of the electorate before the process began, had been removed.
Those removed were allowed to appeal before 19 appellate tribunals. On April 16, the Supreme Court directed that voters cleared by the tribunals be included through supplementary rolls. Additions continued till the eve of voting, with 1,468 names restored a day before the second phase.
There is no clarity on how many pending cases were decided on by the tribunals before polling.
Election Commission’s decisions
Alongside the vote roll revision, the Election Commission exercised extensive powers under the Model Code of Conduct in West Bengal, including the preventive arrest of more than 1,500 persons, even as the Calcutta High Court stayed earlier directives for such action.
The code is a set of guidelines issued by the poll panel that political parties, candidates and governments must follow during an election. It sets guardrails for speeches, campaigning, meetings, processions, election manifestos and other aspects of the polls.
About 2.4 lakh Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed in the state during elections, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah announcing that they would remain in West Bengal for two months after the polls.
Additional curbs included limits on motorcycle movement and a temporary tourist ban in Digha. A 96-hour liquor ban was also imposed ahead of voting, exceeding the usual 48-hour norm.
Additionally, after the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 15, the Election Commission directed a major reshuffle involving more than 480 bureaucrats and police officers. This included the transfer of the state’s chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police, along with several other Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service officers.
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