The Bharatiya Janata Party is on track to form its first-ever government in West Bengal as counting of votes for the assembly elections is underway. According to the latest data from the Election Commission’s website, the BJP is leading in 171 seats, while the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) is ahead in just 83 seats.
If this trend holds, it will dash the TMC’s hopes of securing a fourth consecutive term. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari asserted, “The BJP will form the government with more than 180 seats.”
Adhikari is leading in Nandigram by over 3,100 votes against TMC’s Pabitra Kar, but is trailing Banerjee in her stronghold of Bhabanipur. The BJP leader further mocked the TMC’s prospects, saying, “Rone dijiye. Khatam poora khatam.”
In his statement, Adhikari emphasised the unity of Hindu voters in favor of Narendra Modi’s leadership. "All Hindus are united in favour of Narendra Modi. After four rounds of counting, the BJP is forming its government. Hindu EVMs mean BJP, Muslim EVMs mean TMC, except Malda, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur, where people have voted for Congress," he said.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said the party would secure a landslide victory.
"People of the state have already rejected the Trinamool Congress government, and in a few hours, the overwhelming majority of the seats will confirm that in the fight between Mamata Banerjee and the people, people have rejected Mamata Banerjee," Bhattacharya told reporters in Kolkata.
Ecstatic BJP workers broke into celebrations outside the party's state headquarters in Kolkata. Holding photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they raised 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan and exchanged sweets.
Key seats where the BJP is leading include Jhargram, where BJP’s Lakshmi Kanta Sau is ahead by 5,156 votes, and Kolkata, where BJP’s Purnima Chakraborty leads TMC’s Shashi Panja by 283 votes.
The party candidates are also leading in Monteswar, Asansol Dakshin, Kharagpur Sadar, Dinhata, Gosaba, Baghmundi, Bankura, Durgapur Purba, Binpur, Nayagram, Rajganj, and Bhagwangola, signaling early momentum in regions like Junglemahal, North Bengal, and the industrial belts.
Polling to the 294-member assembly was held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The state recorded the highest-ever voter turnout since independence with an impressive 91.66 per cent polling in the second phase. In the phase-I the poll-participation was 93.19 per cent, taking the combined poll percentage to 92.47 per cent.
