West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of entering into a “Rs 1,000-crore deal” to remove the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the state.
Her remarks came amid a political storm over a viral video allegedly featuring Humayun Kabir, in which he is purportedly heard speaking about contacts with BJP leaders and a financial arrangement to influence minority votes. However, PTI said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the clip.
Row over viral video deepens political clash
Addressing a rally in Bankura, Banerjee questioned claims that the video was artificially generated, pointing out inconsistencies in the responses of those linked to it.
“If it is AI-generated, then why is the person concerned admitting to it? Why are you suddenly defending him?”
The controversy escalated after Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Murshidabad, alleged that the TMC was resorting to fake AI-generated videos ahead of the elections.
Hitting back, Banerjee said, “They have struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal to unseat the TMC from power in West Bengal.”
Kabir, at the centre of the row, offered shifting explanations—initially calling the video AI-generated before later suggesting that only a portion of a longer clip had been circulated without context.
Allegations of voter polarisation and poll manipulation
Stepping up her attack, Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to divide voters along religious lines and exert pressure on TMC candidates.
“They are misleading both Hindus and Muslims. Their character changes like a chameleon,” she said.
Speaking at multiple rallies across districts including Paschim Bardhaman and Purba Bardhaman, she alleged that BJP leaders were reaching out to TMC candidates, including ministers, in anticipation of a fractured mandate.
“The BJP is threatening our candidates, including ministers, seeking their support if it falls short of the majority mark after the polls.”
Banerjee also warned of potential policy moves if the BJP comes to power, including the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and a delimitation exercise.
“To protect your rights, there is no alternative but to vote for the TMC,” she asserted.
“Take my words, the BJP is planning to bring in a delimitation exercise to divide West Bengal into three parts. Then, I do not know, it may merge parts of West Bengal with Bihar or Odisha, and torture Bengalis there,” she said.
Concerns over security, polling process and voter safety
The chief minister further alleged irregularities in poll preparations, including claims that central forces were behaving inappropriately during election duties and that permissions for political rallies were being granted selectively.
“The SIR is the biggest scam the country has seen in recent times. Everyone in the world knows that your government will topple in 2026. We will then scrap all the anti-people laws brought in by your government,” she added.
“The BJP bribes voters before the elections. But they forget their promises soon after the polling is over. That was seen in the Bihar elections,” Banerjee said.
She also cautioned voters to remain vigilant during polling and counting, alleging possible attempts to influence the process.
“Be alert about the voting machines. They are planning slow voting and slow counting. At first, they will show BJP is winning, but do not believe such claims. We will foil all their plans and win. No force can defeat us.”
Banerjee additionally urged people to exercise caution during election-related travel, following an incident in Jhargram where several individuals reportedly fell ill after consuming a substance they believed to be ORS.
“Be careful about what you eat, especially during elections. Do not consume anything given by strangers. Always check before eating,” she said.