Kolkata, April 23 (IANS) With a record 90 per cent polling percentage during the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that such a high voter turnout indicates that the Trinamool Congress is already in a position to win the election.

At an election rally in Kolkata, Chief Minister Banerjee said, “If my eyes are right, given the voting that took place today, I would say that we (Trinamool Congress) have already moved to a place where we can win.”

The Trinamool Congress supremo also 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.”

At the same time, she noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) if it wins this election and that is why people voted in such large numbers to protect their rights.

“From my understanding of people’s mind, we (Trinamool Congress) are already in a position to win, given the polling held so far today. I am not interested in any post, I only want end of BJP government at the Centre,” the Chief Minister said at the rally in Bowbazar area under Chowrangee Assembly constituency.

A voter turnout of 89.93 per cent was recorded till 5 p.m., as polling was underway in 152 of the 294 Assembly seats in the first phase.

The next round of voting will take place on April 29, while counting of votes will be held on May 4.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress candidate from Beleghata constituency and party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party is all set to win at least 125 seats from the places where first phase polling was held.

“The BJP is trying to misread the massive voter turnout. This is not a vote for change, but an endorsement of Mamata Banerjee’s governance. The people of Bengal have broken the BJP’s backbone in the very first phase of polling. The Trinamool Congress is set to win a minimum of 125 seats, which may go up to 132-134 out of the 152 Assembly constituencies that went to polls in the first phase,” Ghosh added.

–IANS

sch/khz