Paschim Medhinipur (West Bengal) [India], May 3 (ANI): Ahead of the highly anticipated vote counting for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, the air in Medinipur is thick with both devotion and defiance.

Sankar Guchhait, the BJP candidate for the Medinipur assembly seat, visited the Maa Manasa temple on Sunday with his family to seek divine intervention before the seals on the EVMs are broken.

Following his prayers, Guchhait struck a tone of absolute certainty, claiming that the political landscape of West Bengal has reached a permanent turning point. He asserted that the state is on the verge of its first-ever BJP government.

'For the first time, the BJP is forming a government in West Bengal. That's why people are happy here,' Guchhait told reporters. 'People voted in large numbers... That's why Mamata Banerjee is very sad. She is afraid of people's opinion.'

While confident in the public's support, the BJP candidate remains wary of the counting process. Drawing parallels to previous elections, Guchhait accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of historical malpractice and 'stealing' the will of the voters.

Guchhait claimed that in past elections, the TMC 'did a robbery' of votes to maintain power. He praised the Election Commission's decision to deploy strict observers at counting centres, calling it a necessary step to ensure the 'robbery is stopped.'

He suggested that the TMC leadership's current demeanour is a direct result of losing its grip on the electorate.

'Last time, TMC did a robbery (of votes) and stole the mandate of the people. This robbery should be stopped... That's why the Election Commission deployed observers at the counting centres. This is the right thing to do... People voted in large numbers... That's why Mamata Banerjee is very sad... She is afraid of people's opinion,' he said.

As the state prepares for the results, Guchhait's visit to Maa Manasa temple serves as a symbolic calm before the storm. With the BJP eyeing the corridors of power in Kolkata and the TMC fighting to retain its fortress, the Medinipur candidate's remarks underscore the deep-seated mistrust and high emotional stakes defining the 2026 mandate.

The eyes of the nation now turn to the counting centres, where the 'people's opinion' that Guchhait speaks of will finally be quantified.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Falta Assembly constituency Debangshu Panda on Sunday alleged large-scale irregularities during polling in parts of the constituency, including manipulation at select booths and incidents of voter intimidation.

Speaking to ANI, Panda claimed that the party had raised objections over irregularities at several booths and demanded repolling in those areas, after which the Election Commission ordered fresh voting on May 21.

'We had petitioned for re-polling in the 150 booths where cellotape was put on the BJP symbol... They even rotated cameras in some of the booths... Yesterday, they made a decision on our demand and declared a repoll on 21st May... In Falta, the BJP will win by a margin of 1-1.5 lakhs votes...,' Panda said.

Separately, BJP candidate from Noapara Assembly constituency Arjun Singh also expressed confidence in the party's performance, claiming strong public support on the ground.

'Our government is going to be formed... The people are telling us that we are going to form the government. The people are forming this government... This time, the people have come out of their homes to vote,' Singh told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered fresh voting across all 285 polling stations in the Falta Assembly constituency of West Bengal on May 21, even as repolling was conducted in 15 booths in Paschim Magrahat and Diamond Harbour assembly constituencies on Saturday (May 2).

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'.

Polling across 294 constituencies in West Bengal was held on April 23 and 29, respectively, with counting set to take place on May 4. (ANI)