TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has sparked a major political storm by alleging that her defeat in the high-stakes Bhabanipur Assembly seat was the result of a “stolen mandate” and an “unethical dirty game.”In a telephonic conversation shared by Trinamool Congress MP and senior Supreme Court advocate Kalyan Banerjee, the Mamata levelled serious charges about the conduct of counting, claiming the process was compromised in the final rounds.“Those remaining rounds were in Bhabanipur, which was totally our area. At that moment, a few goons entered the counting centre… they beat me up and threw my agents away with the help of CRPF,” Banerjee alleged in the conversation, adding that she was not even allowed inside the counting hall at a crucial stage.The Bhabanipur contest turned into a nail-biting thriller, with dramatic swings through all 20 rounds of counting. Banerjee began with an early lead of around 2,000 votes and consolidated her position by the seventh round, when her margin surged to over 17,000 votes, triggering celebrations among TMC supporters.However, the momentum began to shift gradually. Her lead narrowed to just over 4,000 votes by the 14th round. In a dramatic twist, with only a few rounds remaining, BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari overtook her, eventually winning the seat by 15,105 votes.Banerjee claimed she was leading till the 16th round and alleged that the turning point came after her party’s counting agents were removed.She further alleged that electronic voting machines were taken to strong rooms without proper sealing and that there was no TMC representation inside the counting hall during the final rounds.Calling the situation “torture,” Banerjee accused the Election Commission of India, CRPF and local election officials of acting under instructions from the Centre to favour the BJP.She also alleged irregularities in voter rolls and claimed that votes were “forcibly stolen” amid chaos and power disruptions.Banerjee said all evidence has been documented and will be presented in court. “This is not a BJP victory, it is an unethical dirty game,” she said, indicating that the party would mount a legal challenge.The result is being seen as a major political setback for the TMC, as Bhabanipur had long been considered Banerjee’s safest stronghold.