Around 100 BJP workers here on Tuesday walked backwards for some 200 metres to the West Burdwan district-magistrate’s office to protest against the alleged rigging of the polls to the municipal corporation, the day after Trinamul had won in 91 wards of the 106-ward civic body.

The BJP accused police and administration of being in cahoots with the ruling party. “That is why we walked backwards in protest…. We will intensify our movement if attacks on our party by the ruling party are allowed to go on,” said BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari, a Trinamul turncoat.

Trinamul won the 91 wards with a vote share of 61.42 per cent. The BJP slumped to an embarrassing seven-ward tally and vote share of 17.05 per cent. The Left won two wards and the Congress three.

The BJP, which lost all four civic elections held on February 12, has moved high court, seeking the cancellation of all four polls on account of alleged foul play.

Trinamul dismissed these allegations. “By walking backwards, they will be reduced to zero sooner,” said Abhijit Ghatak, a Trinamul councillor who is deemed to be a mayoral candidate.

In Calcutta’s Dum Dum, the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari claimed he has a list of over 10,000 “eminent personalities” of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation area who couldn’t cast their votes on February 12. “They all got in touch with me…. We will get them to move high court,” said Suvendu.

In Bidhannagar, Trinamul won 39 of 41 wards, while the BJP won none. One ward each was bagged by the Congress and an Independent. In terms of vote share, the Left (with 10.95 per cent) ascended to second place, relegating the BJP to third, with a single-digit vote share (8.2 per cent). Trinamul won 74.1 per cent votes.

Former Bidhannagar mayor Sabyasachi Dutta — a Trinamul leader who defected to the BJP before the Assembly polls and returned to the ruling party after results —said he would resign as councillor if Suvendu could prove even a single willing, valid voter was denied the right to exercise his franchise in ward 31 that he won from.

“But if he can’t substantiate his ridiculous claim, does he have it in him to be able to step down as leader of the Opposition?” asked Dutta, a frontrunner for the mayoral post in Bidhannagar again.

Police complaint

The Trinamul students’ wing on Tuesday filed a police complaint at the Bhowanipore police station against Suvendu, who on Monday chased student agitators from the Asutosh College near the Hazra crossing because they were jeering at him.

Trinamul Chhatra Parishad chief Trinankur Bhattacharya called for a “social boycott” of Suvendu, for claiming he was physically assaulted there and allegedly trying to foment animosity towards students.