File photo of Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Cautioned party colleagues and other opposition leaders against celebrating on Tuesday Trinamool CongressThe defeat in West Bengal presents the election outcome as a major threat to Indian democracy. Without taking names, Rahul Gandhi said, “Some and others in the Congress are celebrating TMC’s defeat. They need to understand this clearly: The theft of the mandate of Assam and Bengal is a major step by the BJP in its mission to destroy Indian democracy.”Urging political parties to move beyond electoral rivalries, he said, “Keep petty politics aside. This is not about one party or the other. This is about India.”The Congress leader’s comments come a day after the BJP’s landslide victory in West Bengal, where the party crossed the majority mark and ended 15 years of rule. Mamata Banerjee And Trinamool Congress.Rahul Gandhi’s reference to “theft of mandate” appeared to echo allegations made by Mamata Banerjee, who claimed that “more than 100 seats were stolen” in the state, a charge rejected by the BJP.The Congress, which has had a limited electoral presence in West Bengal in recent years, managed to win two seats in the 2026 assembly elections.Earlier, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP had “looted” more than 100 seats and termed the Election Commission as “BJP’s Commission”, terming the victory as “immoral” and “illegal”.BJP is going to form its first government with an overwhelming majority by winning 206 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. Re-polling in Falta constituency will be held on May 21.