“The game is over and my players are performing well,” Trinamul’s Birbhum strongman Anubrata Mondal told reporters on Thursday afternoon, as his district’s 11 Assembly seats were among the 35 that polled in the eighth and final phase of elections.
The Election Commission’s surveillance notwithstanding, Mondal spent a busy day speaking on the phone, issuing directives to party leaders from across the district. He kept checking with Trinamul leaders how people were voting for the party as the day progressed.
In between intermittent telephonic conversations in an air-conditioned party office in Bolpur town, came his quips and guffaws.
“The BJP is nowhere. I am sure that they will not get a single seat in my district. The game was with a new team but my players have played well,” Mondal said and broke into loud laughter.
As Mondal spoke, a person in his office kept calling up block and panchayat level leaders to keep the Trinamul leader up to date with the latest booth-level information.
“What are you saying? It is fantastic. Ask people to vote for our party in maximum numbers,” Mondal was heard telling a leader over the phone.
Trinamul insiders said the recent talks of the BJP grabbing at least six seats in the district had left Mondal extremely worried. After getting information from the ground level, Mondal got in direct contact with leaders he felt might work to sabotage Trinamul’s chances. The exercise continued till almost midnight on Wednesday.
“Dada (Mondal) did not go to sleep before 4am for the past one week as he was busy handling leaders who the party suspected were working at the behest of the BJP. Trinamul’s disgruntled leaders were summoned to the party office and Dada managed to turn them around,” said one of Mondal’s close aides.
“The BJP had no one to work for them on poll day. So, they started to lure our men to work for them. I spoke to those leaders and managed to convince them (to stay loyal),” Mondal said.
Asked how he could manage the turnaround, if it is finally revealed to be so on counting Sunday, Mondal hid a mischievous smile. “That’s why Mamata Banerjee trusts me as a good player. I will win all the 11 seats (for Trinamul in Birbhum district).”
However, Trinamul insiders said even after Mondal’s claims, the BJP would win at least two seats.
For his reportedly aggressive comments and derogatory speeches, the Election Commission had kept him under strict surveillance this year too after 2016 Assembly polls and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Around noon on Thursday, Mondal rode pillion on a motorbike to reach his booth — a short way from his home — to cast his vote. His daughter Sukanya also reached the same booth in a different motorcycle to cast her vote. Mondal’s aides rode the bikes.
The executive magistrate, who has been assigned to keep a vigil on Mondal by the poll panel, had arranged a scooter for the surveillance, and rode it with a central force jawan sitting pillion, to follow Mondal to the booth.
On Wednesday, the commission’s surveillance team’s car had a tough time keeping up with Mondal. So on Thursday, they even arranged a high-speed SUV for the surveillance team. They were asked to keep a motorbike ready to follow Mondal if he entered a narrow lane.
However, Mondal said that he only went to the booth and then to the party’s office on polling day.