Kolkata, May 1 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s apprehensions over an “imaginary” breach of security at the EVM strongrooms are nothing but reflections of her “fear of defeat”, prompted by her old habit of raising apprehensions about EVM manipulations whenever she senses a negative electoral pulse, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday.

“Raising apprehensions about EVM manipulation has become a part of her habit for the last 15 years since she came to power in West Bengal in 2011. It is impossible for her to get rid of this old habit. This time, her habitual expression on this count is stronger since she is sensing an imminent defeat. Hence her theatrics over the imaginary EVM strongroom manipulation are reflections of her fear of defeat,” Adhikari told media persons on Friday,” said Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly.

His reactions in the matter came amid the Chief Minister’s video message on Thursday, expressing apprehensions of EVM strongroom manipulations.

On Thursday night, she stormed the Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls High School, the venue for a strong-room storing the EVM machines for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata and stayed there past midnight, alleging EVM tampering.

The Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, this time, is the most high-profile constituency with the Chief Minister and the LoP pitted against each other.

Reacting to those developments, Adhikari also said he would like to assure the voters across West Bengal, including those from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had strictly instructed the outgoing Chief Minister to refrain from availing any undue advantages of the chair she is occupying till now.

“No matter how much effort she makes, she has been unable to engage in any activities outside the rules. As long as she was present in the strong-room premises, my election agent, Advocate Suryanil Das, was personally there keeping her under strict surveillance so that she could not resort to any dishonest means,” the LoP said.

In fact, in a hurriedly convened press conference on Thursday night, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, also rubbished the allegations of tampering of EVMs and postal ballots in the strong-rooms.

–IANS

src/dpb