While most exit polls have predicted a strong BJP performance after record voter turnout in the state, one has emerged the outlier

While most exit polls have predicted a strong BJP performance after record voter turnout in the state, one has emerged the outlier

While most exit polls have predicted a strong BJP performance after record voter turnout in the state, one has emerged the outlier

Polling for the last phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded on Wednesday, paving the way for the votes to be counted on May 4.

The state saw a whopping 91.41 per cent voter turnout for the second phase of polling in 142 constituencies, after the first phase in 152 constituencies saw a record turnout of 93.2 per cent—the highest since Independence.

While most sets of exit polls by P-MARQ, Matrize, Poll Diary and Chanakya Strategies have predicted a strong performance from the BJP in the state, one survey has emerged the outlier.

According to the Peoples Pulse exit polls, it is the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC that has been projected to retain its fourth term in the state with a projected seat count of 177-187 seats—well over the magic mark of 148 of the Assembly's 294 seats.

The challenger, BJP, has been projected to win 95-110 seats, unlike in the other surveys, which have all given the saffron party strong predictions of more than 140 seats.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced that exit polls for this election cycle would come out after voting concluded in the state at 6:30 PM.

It added that around 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will remain deployed across West Bengal after polling ends, until further orders.

This is because both phases of the polls have seen several scattered cases of violence across the state between workers from the BJP and the TMC, though these have not led to any deaths so far.

All eyes are now on the counting of the votes for West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu on May 4.

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