Voting trends in Phase I indicate TMC victory, says Mamata.

MP, 24 April 2026, Kolkata:  Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that the high voter turnout in the first phase of polling in Bengal signals a strong advantage for her party, asserting that the trends point towards an “already winning position” for the TMC.

Speaking at an election rally in the Bowbazar area, Banerjee said that based on her understanding of public sentiment, the results of the elections will be in favour of her party. The voting trends reflect strong support for the TMC, she said.

Banerjee added that the party is confident about its prospects in the election. “From my understanding of people’s minds, we are already in a position to win, given the polling held so far on Thursday,” she said.

Banerjee’s statement comes after Bengal recorded a massive 89.93% voter turnout till 5 pm in Phase I polling. Voting took place across 152 out of 294 Assembly seats, making it a crucial stage of the election.

Slamming the Prime Minister’s election rally, Banerjee said that on the day of the election, he carried out campaigns with the help of a teleprompter. “How can he predict that the BJP is winning a certain number of seats on the day the first phase of elections was carried out,” she said.

“Do you know why so many votes were cast? This election is a fight to protect people’s rights, that’s why people voted in such large numbers,” Banerjee said.

Stating that her primary objective is to put an end to BJP’s rule at the Centre, she said: “I am not interested in any post, I only want the end of the BJP government at the Centre.”

She further pointed out that after winning the Bengal elections, she will unite opposition parties and challenge the BJP at the national level. “Will conquer Delhi with Opposition unity,” Banerjee said, adding that she plans to take the fight beyond the state.

A victory in Bengal, she said, would strengthen efforts to build a united opposition front in Delhi and play a key role in shaping national politics in the coming years.

From the election rally in Bowbazar, Banerjee said that she stood by local businessmen during times of crisis and recalled how residents and traders suffered when houses were demolished for the Metro Railway project.

Banerjee also said that the BJP will implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) if it wins the election, and that is why people voted in such large numbers to protect their rights.

Without taking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was touring Bengal for his election campaign, Banerjee said: “He came in the morning to heat up the atmosphere. BJP has no agents in booths, and hence he came to Bengal to threaten a section of administration who were working in their favour.”

“How does he speak about elections on the day of the polls? Every time on the day of election, he goes out in the morning and on the day of counting goes to a cave as if he is meditating,” she added.

Banerjee, who is the TMC candidate from Bhowanipore Assembly Constituency, held a padyatra from Bhowanipur Kansaripara Shitala Mandir to Patua Para Crossing. She also visited a Jain temple.

Incidentally, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will campaign for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on April 26 and 27, the second phase of the Assembly election, party sources said.