Mamata Banerjee on Monday dismissed “chest-thumping claims” by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of having won 92-100 seats of the 135 that went to polls in the first four phases of Bengal polls, asserting that the BJP knew it was facing “go-haran hara (abject defeat)”.

The Modi-Shah duopoly, which has mounted a perception campaign with sure-win forecasts following each phase of the Bengal polls, on Monday came up with their figures for the half-way stage. As of now, 159 seats of the 294-seat Assembly remain in fray.

Prime Minister Modi on Monday resorted to cricket analogies to claim the Bengal electorate had handed the BJP a century already.

“The people of Bengal have hit so many fours and sixes that the BJP has already completed a century (has won 100 seats) in the first four phases of the election. Only halfway through, the people have wiped out Trinamul Congress,” said Modi in Burdwan. If one takes his prediction seriously, then the BJP needs only 48 more seats to form the new Bengal government.

Union home minister Shah was slightly more conservative. Shah said at Dhupguri that so far the BJP won 92 seats. “From the four phases, we have 92 seats…I request the people of Bengal to continue blessing us (in the rest four phases), so that the BJP can come to power here,” said Shah.

Trinamul chief Mamata, who has been dismissing such claims, said at Dumdum that irrespective of the number of meetings the duopoly conducts to wrest Bengal from her, it won’t taste success.

“Take it from me…Ora go-haran harbey (They will be handed abject defeat). That they too know very well by now. That is why they have been doing all that they have been doing,” said Mamata, apparently referring to the alleged excesses by the BJP, its Centre, and its various agencies that she accuses of working in the party’s favour, such as the Election Commission and the central forces.

Sources in her party said Mamata’s efforts to discredit such predictions by Shah and Modi are not only in order to keep them from damaging her party’s chances in the crucial four phases that remain, with 159 seats between them, but also to throw a direct challenge at the saffron ecosystem’s attempts to peddle the perception that the battle for Bengal is decisively over already in the BJP’s favour.

“What she is doing to counter such propaganda is very important for the morale of (Trinamul) rank and file and party supporters,” said a Trinamul Rajya Sabha member. According to him, all internal estimates suggest a tally of “80-plus” for Trinamul of the 135 in the first four phases, with scores of seats deemed Trinamul’s strong suit yet to go to polls. “Everyone, including Modi and Shah, knows there is still everything left to play for, and there is a very, very clear path to victory for her (Mamata). That is why they make such claims to sway floating voters.”