New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India, alleging political messaging ahead of electoral outcomes in West Bengal.

In a series of posts on X, Gokhale wrote, 'BJP is preparing excuses before their Bengal defeat tomorrow.'

He also referred to polling arrangements and repolling decisions, claiming, 'Election Commission of India has announced repolling in the entire Assembly constituency of Falta in Bengal across 285 stations. During polling, Tadipar's crook Gyanesh Kumar had deployed over 2.4 lakh Central Police Forces.'

Gokhale further alleged, 'In addition, BJP's lackey, who they called an 'encounter specialist' cop from UP, was appointed police observer. Despite this, ECI now says that repolling will have to be done.'

Gokhale alleged that the BJP was 'preparing excuses' ahead of its expected defeat in West Bengal and would later question the polls as 'not free and fair,' also linking it to the non-release of Axis MyIndia exit poll data.

He added, 'Unable to digest BJP's defeat tomorrow, Tadipar is making excuses to save face & giving his party an off-ramp. After realising that they're losing, BJP will now claim 'elections were not free & fair' in order to explain their humiliating defeat. This is also why Tadipar didn't allow Axis MyIndia to release their exit poll.'

Gokhale further remarked, 'While BJP prepares their excuses, the people of Bengal are ready with Rabindra Sangeet and DJ music to celebrate the win of Didi tomorrow for her 4th term as West Bengal Chief Minister.'

On Saturday, the Election Commission of India ordered that fresh voting would be held across all 285 polling stations in the Falta assembly constituency of West Bengal on May 21, even as repolling was held in 15 booths in the Paschim Magrahat and Diamond Harbour assembly constituencies.

According to the ECI, directives for fresh repolling have been given in Falta 'on consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on April 29.'

Earlier on Saturday, the BJP delegation met with West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh visited the Netaji Indoor Stadium, which has strong rooms with EVMs.

BJP candidate from Maniktala Assembly Constituency, Tapas Roy, who was part of the BJP's delegation to the CEO, said the Election Commission's rules and regulations regarding the seating arrangements for national and state party representatives in the counting hall must be strictly followed.

'We came with three issues. In Bardhaman, where people were climbing the building from the outside up to the fifth floor, what were the CAPF and the district police doing? Second, in Pingla and Daspur, casual workers are being deployed for duties they shouldn't be assigned to. This must stop. Third, the Election Commission's rules and regulations regarding the seating arrangements for national and state party representatives in the counting hall must be strictly followed. The Returning Officer (RO), Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), observers, and counting officers must ensure this,' he said.

'Because of incidents like what happened in Falta, Abhishek (Banerjee) won by a margin of 7 lakh 11 thousand votes in Diamond Harbour. Even today in Falta, things happen that shouldn't have. People were prevented from voting; in Hindu villages, our mothers and sisters had to come out and protest,' he added. (ANI)