Opposition agitation against CEC will fail with Mamata Banerjee involved, says BJP

Kolkata: The BJP on Saturday said the opposition’s agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would not gain traction, with party spokesperson Debjit Sarkar criticising former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee‘s shifting political positions.

Sarkar was reacting to efforts by opposition parties, including the TMC and the Left, to hold a joint protest against the Election Commission.

“She had taken the side of many leaders in the past, sometimes with Bobby or Baby, sometimes with Rahul Gandhi, and sometimes with others. Sometimes she abuses them, and sometimes she stands with them. It is difficult to predict when she will align with whom,” Sarkar said.

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Confident of the inevitable fall of this joint movement, he said, “But one thing is crystal clear: As long as she is involved in this, we can rest assured that the agitation will not stand.”

The comments came after opposition parties, including the Left and the Trinamool Congress, which have been long-term political opponents, teamed up for a joint protest against the CEC.
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“People can support Kumar or oppose him; people can accept or reject the Election Commission’s work. But you cannot deny that in the 2026 elections, not a single body fell, not a single bullet was fired, and not a single booth was looted,” he said.

“We are grateful to the EC for what we described as a terror-free election,” he said.

On TMC allegations of misuse of central forces and election manipulation, Sarkar said such claims were excuses made after a defeat.

“Saying ‘we didn’t lose, we were made to lose’ — these are statements made by schoolchildren in primary classes. In a mature political system, such claims carry no weight. This is like a child throwing a tantrum after losing a game of ludo,” he said.

Sarkar also rejected allegations that the BJP was monitoring Banerjee’s movements using drones.

“Why would anyone monitor someone whose own party leaders no longer pay attention to her?” he asked, adding that the focus should instead be on her safety and peaceful retirement.