Bengal TMC crisis Highlights: BJP rigged 177 of 294 seats in Bengal polls, says Mamata at protest site

A two-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation comprising MLAs Kunal Ghosh and Asima Patra reached the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday to meet the Speaker's office. With Speaker Biman Banerjee currently in Delhi, the delegation sought to submit a letter addressed to him. However, Kunal Ghosh alleged that officials, including the Principal Secretary to the Speaker, refused to accept the letter.

In her first public address since Trinamool Congress's poll rout, Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the state's police forces for working at the behest of the BJP and helping the party to break the Trinamool Congress by threatening the workers.

In her first public address after the TMC's poll rout, Mamata Banerjee said that god should forgive all the people who have betrayed the TMC.

"Those who are trying to break TMC, I would like to say, 'Ishwar Allah Tero Naam Sabko Sanmati De Bhagwan," he said.

(Inputs from ANI)

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP from the protest march in Rani Rashmani Avenue, Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP rigged the electoral counting in 177 seats that it won out of 294 seats.

(ANI inputs)

A Trinamool Congress delegation led by MLA Kunal Ghosh and Ashima Patra submitted a letter to the Speaker's office, seeking the appointment of Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition.

(Inputs from Indrajit Kundu)

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has left the protest march site at the Y-channel in the Rani Rashmani Avenue.

(Inputs from Tapas Sengupta)

A Trinamool Congress rally on Tuesday saw the participation of only six MLAs, including senior legislators Chandrima Bhattacharya, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Nayana Bandyopadhyay, Madan Mitra, Ashok Deb and Ashima Patra. TMC MPs Dola Sen, Kalyan Banerjee and Derek O'Brien were also present at the event.

In a parallel organisational reshuffle, the All India Trinamool Congress announced key appointments for its legislative wing in the West Bengal Assembly. Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay was named Leader of the Opposition, while Ashima Patra and Nayana Bandyopadhyay were appointed Deputy Leaders of the Opposition.

Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim was appointed Chief Whip in the Assembly as the party moved to strengthen its legislative team.

Several senior leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) attended the event, including MLAs Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Nayana Bandopadhyay, Madan Mitra, Ashok Deb and Asima Patra. Among the party's Members of Parliament present were Dola Sen and Kalyan Banerjee, highlighting the party's strong representation at the programme.

A delegation, led by TMC MLAs Kunal Ghosh and Ashima Patra, went to the Speaker's office on Tuesday. However, Ghosh alleged that the delegation went to submit a letter to the principal secretary. However, he refused to meet.

(Indrajit Kundu input)

Mamata Banerjee said that the TMC protest in the Y Channel will go on till 7 pm this evening.

Banerjee also directed her party workers to garland statues of great thinkers and scholars across various locations, adding that she would also personally step out to pay her respects at these monuments as part of major mass connect programmes.

Addressing the crowd through her latest speech at the Y-channel, Mamata Banerjee said, "The BJP president used to call me several times, seeking help. But I never told this to the media. I have good relations with all political parties except the BJP. But I have helped the BJP whenever they sought help; I have helped them in their bad days. I even called them up personally. I am here and shall be here."

In her first public address since the TMC's massive poll debacle, Mamata Banerjee gave an ultimate call to the BJP, saying 'Ladenge ye marenge (either we would fight or we would die).'

While addressing the crowd in her first public rally after TMC's major poll debacle, Mamata Banerjee said that in her tenure, she stood by people irrespective of their political colours and affiliations.

Referring to the attack on Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata said that the people who once sought help from her did not extend any support when the Diamond Harbour MP went through a life-threatening attack.

In his Y channel speech at the Trinamool Congress's protest march on Tuesday, Kalyan Banerjee slammed Ritabrata Banerjee for his alleged anti-party activities.

"You fought on a Trinamool Congress ticket. You won because of Mamata Banerjee's blessings. If you have courage, resign and try to win the election on your own," he added.

He also said that Ritabrata is not a whistleblower but a thief who is trying to secure his political career with the help of Suvendu Adhikari.

In his speech during the TMC protest march, Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP from Serampore, took a jibe at the Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, calling him a 'murderer Chief Minister.'

Giving a strong message to the Trinamool Congress workers, Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee said that the real Trinamool Congress workers would fight back at the BJP. However, the people who joined the party later and did not go through any struggle, would flee from the ground.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said that since May 4, BJP workers have killed nearly 25–30 Trinamool Congress cadres.

He also slammed the police for allegedly working at the behest of the ruling BJP in the state.

TMC supremo and ex-West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, said that her party won't be deterred by the "atrocity" of the state's ruling BJP. Addressing TMC workers and leaders at the site of the sit-in protest organised by the party, she said, "We have not been allowed to fix a mic. We were not allowed to erect a stage. TMC is not being allowed to do our political activity. But we shall not be deterred."

She added, "This misrule, this atrocity, the way they (BJP) have looted the vote and now our MLAs and councillors are being threatened by the police. They are now attempting to break TMC."

(With inputs from Indrajit Kundu)

TMC supremo and ex-West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, was welcomed by a crowd of supporters as she arrived at Kolkata's Rani Rashmoni Avenue, the site of her party's sit-in protest over attacks on party leaders, including her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, and other issues.