‘Extortion At Local Level, Anti-Incumbency’: TMC MP Saugata Roy’s Big Claim After Bengal Defeat

The TMC MP admitted that “dadagiri” by local strongmen had created a negative atmosphere on the ground, contributing to voter discontent against the ruling party

TMC MP Saugata Roy

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday acknowledged that local-level extortion, strong-arm tactics and mounting anti-incumbency played a key role in his party’s crushing defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Speaking exclusively to News18, Roy admitted that “dadagiri” by local strongmen had created a negative atmosphere on the ground, contributing to voter discontent against the ruling party.

“There was extortion at the local level and local dadas created a wrong atmosphere. There has been huge anti-incumbency which we could not realise,” the TMC leader said, adding that the party failed to assess the depth of public anger.

Roy added that polling was largely peaceful, even as he pointed to instances of alleged high-handedness by the Central Armed Police Forces. “Though there were certain high-handed actions by CAPF, the vote was peaceful,” he said.

He also acknowledged the consolidation of Hindu votes against the TMC, describing it as another factor that went unanticipated by the party leadership.

“There has been consolidation of the Hindu vote. We failed to understand all this,” Roy said.

Asked whether he had discussed the poll debacle with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Roy said he had not yet spoken to her. “I have not spoken with Mamata. Let’s see,” he added.

According to the Election Commission of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a sweeping victory, winning 206 of the 294 Assembly seats.

The TMC managed to win 80 seats and was leading in one more at the time of reporting. The Congress won two seats, while Humayun Kabir’s AJUP also secured two. The CPI(M) was reduced to a single seat.

The results mark a dramatic reversal from the 2021 Assembly elections, when the Banerjee-led TMC had won 213 seats with around 48 per cent vote share, while the BJP had secured 77 seats to emerge as the principal opposition.

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