In last-min push, Mamata holds Bhowanipore meet

Kolkata: With Bhowanipore in focus, CM Mamata Banerjee on Sunday met eight KMC councillors, party ward presidents, her chief election agent, along with several Trinamool netas to work out the last-minute details for counting day.

The meeting at Mamata's Kalighat residence was attended by Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, among others. "Mamata Banerjee will win in Bhowanipore by a huge margin," Hakim asserted while speaking to a vernacular news channel.



Claiming that TMC has worked for people's welfare round the year, he said Mamata will take oath as the state's chief minister for the fourth consecutive term.

Mamata and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday held a virtual meeting with counting agents of 291 assembly seats in which the party is contesting.

They stressed that the agents should regularly update the leadership about the prevailing situation at the counting centres and must remain there till the end of the exercise.

Meanwhile, trashing the exit poll results, Mamata said these were conducted to "manipulate the stock market" and told her party colleagues — including counting agents — that Trinamool "is winning and winning by 200-plus seats". The CM, who spoke to her party colleagues virtually, also advised them not to be anxious if postal ballot results go against TMC.

Both Mamata and Abhishek repeatedly harped on the manner in which "BJP is using the EC" and how party workers and supporters were being selectively targeted for attacks. At one point, Mamata even said she will reward all party workers who withstood these attacks fearlessly and fought for the party.