Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she had inputs and some evidence of the BJP’s alleged plans to tamper with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the general election next year, and was in the process of looking for more proof, asserting that the issue would feature prominently in the next meeting of the INDIA.

During a brief news conference at Nabanna, the Bengal secretariat, the chief minister was asked to react to reports on an unpublished economics research paper — titled “Democratic Backsliding in the World’s Largest Democracy” — on alleged electoral manipulation in 2019. The report was authored by Sabyasachi Das, an assistant professor of economics at Ashoka University in Haryana’s Sonipat.

She said: “Naturally, they (the BJP) have already begun their planning.”

“They are making various arrangements to hack electronic (voting) machines,” she added.

For at least five years, the Trinamul Congress chief has been among the fiercest critics of the Election Commission of India’s alleged surrender of its autonomy to the saffron regime. Mamata also backs a conspiracy theory that the BJP practices some form of EVM tampering to sway results in its favour, especially in close contests.

“We have received such information and have already found some evidence. We are looking for more evidence,” she said.

Mamata’s allegations were, however, largely rubbished over the past few years by several Chief Election Commissioners of India and jeered at by the saffron ecosystem.

“This will be discussed thoroughly in the next meeting of INDIA,” added Mamata, a principal leader of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. On Wednesday, she had said the next meeting was likely to take place on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai.

Asked to react to Union home minister Amit Shah’s tirade in Parliament against INDIA on Thursday, Mamata expressed confidence in the 26-party bloc’s winnability next year.

“Delhi is the capital of India. We are going to win Delhi. This also means that INDIA is going to win. The INDIA alliance was formed to save the country from disaster, communal tensions, and unemployment,” she said.

“Our INDIA alliance is new, and our existence is all over the country. Of course, we will form the government and Delhi is the capital, which also houses the Parliament,” added Mamata. “India is our motherland. Therefore, the INDIA alliance is of the motherland, by the motherland, and for the motherland.”

She said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) —recently resuscitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi around the formation of INDIA — had “no value left”.

“For so many years, the NDA did not even hold a meeting among themselves. Their oldest allies deserted them,” said the Trinamul chief.

Mamata was instrumental in the formation of the coalition against the BJP and proposed the name INDIA.

Responding to another question on whether she believed that communal violence was apparently in the process of escalation, on account of the BJP’s go-to poll ploy of polarisation, Mamata said: “Violence has always been a part of the BJP’s dictionary.”

“Their dictionary does not have the Constitution in it, but only terror…. They feel there is no progress without violence,” she added. Mamata
accused the BJP of misusing violence to saffronise the nation.

“The BJP has nothing else to offer. If the entire country is saffronised, where will the other colours go?” she asked.

“Saffron is a mark of devotion, sacrifice, and purity. The people will not accept it if it is used as a symbol of oppression,” added the chief minister.