- "One MP will shave his head if the BJP wins one seat in Kolkata," O'Brien had said last month
- Kolkata has 11 Assembly constituencies
- The Trinamool MP had issued the same dare for South 24 Parganas as well
Insisting that the Trinamool Congress did not want to "talk big", Derek O'Brien had said last month that one MP from the party would shave their head for every constituency that the BJP won in Kolkata or South 24 Parganas.
As things stood at 5 pm on Monday, the BJP was ahead in five out of 11 seats in Kolkata, including Maniktala and Rashbehari, and some in South 24 Parganas as well.
O'Brien, incidentally an MP himself and the leader of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha, had said during a press conference, "We don't want to talk big today. We will wait till the 4th of May (counting day). We've always waited. But since some of you are also going to Kolkata, there are 11 seats in Kolkata. One MP will shave his head if the BJP wins one seat in Kolkata."
"Should we carry on? There are 31 seats in South 24 Parganas. 31. Same rule applies," he added.
The Trinamool Congress member also pointed to party Chairperson Mamata Banerjee and National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee saying that the TMC would win more constituencies than its tally of 215 in 2021.
As of 5 PM, the BJP was leading in 200 seats in the state, while the Trinamool Congress was well below even the 100 mark.
Hours after counting began, Mamata Banerjee refused to accept defeat and said votes were being tallied as part of a plan.
"I request all counting agents and candidates not to leave the counting area. This is BJP's plan. Since yesterday, I have been saying that they will show their results first and ours later in the first two or three rounds," Banerjee alleged.
"I will tell all our counting agents and all our party workers not to be so upset. I said you would win after sunset. Even if three or four rounds have been counted, there are 14-18 rounds in total. You will win then. Wait and watch. We are with you. Don't be afraid. We will fight like the cubs of a tiger," she said.
