Kolkata, May 4: The BJP gained early lead in West Bengal on Monday, surging ahead in 111 Assembly seats against the TMC’s 69 as counting gathered pace, signalling a possible outcome that could reshape the state’s political landscape following a high-stakes and tightly fought electoral battle.
The early numbers suggest a geographically split mandate in the making with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pushing ahead in border, tribal and industrial regions, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) holds ground in parts of Kolkata and select rural strongholds.
Counting for all 293 Assembly seats began at 8 am with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes. The election is widely seen as a referendum on Banerjee’s bid for a fourth consecutive term against an aggressive BJP that has sought to convert its 2021 gains into a decisive breakthrough.
According to Election Commission data. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was leading in her Bhabanipur stronghold by 898 votes over BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari after the first round, offering early comfort to the ruling party in a prestige seat even as the broader trend favoured the saffron party.
However, in Nandigram — the other marquee battleground — television channels showed Adhikari ahead by over 3,100 votes against TMC’s Pabitra Kar after the first round, though the Election Commission was yet to upload official figures.
“Out of the 14 booths counted in the first round, five were Muslimdominated. Even there, the TMC is struggling,” Adhikari claimed, asserting that the BJP was headed for a victory and was leading in over 135 of the 293 seats.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir was leading in the Nowda seat in Murshidabad district over his nearest TMC rival after the first round of counting, Election Commission figures confirmed. Kabir held a lead margin of 2890 votes over TMC’s Sahina Momtaz Khan, with 19 counting rounds remaining.
The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), an ally of the TMC in the Darjeeling hills, was leading in Kalimpong, underlining the regional dynamics in the hills where alliances often play a decisive role. Among other key constituencies, BJP candidate Lakshmi Kanta Sau was leading in Jhargram by 976 votes over TMC’s Mongal Saren.
In Kolkata, BJP’s Purnima Chakraborty was ahead by 283 votes over TMC minister Shashi Panja, signalling early cracks in some urban pockets for the ruling party. In Monteswar, BJP’s Saikat Panja was leading by a substantial margin of 3,486 votes over TMC’s Siddiqullah Chowdhury, while in Asansol Dakshin, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul was ahead by 6,271 votes.
The BJP was also leading in a swath of constituencies, including Dinhata, Gosaba, Baghmundi, Bankura, Durgapur Purba, Binpur, Nayagram, Rajganj and Bhagwangola, indicating early traction across Junglemahal, north Bengal and industrial belts. In contrast, the TMC retained leads in pockets such as Deganga, where Anisur Rahaman Bidesh was ahead by 2,184 votes, besides urban seats like Kasba, Ballygunge, Bhabanipur and Entally, and rural belts including Singur, Raina, Jamalpur, Khandaghosh, Sitai, Malatipur and Mothabari. Officials cautioned that trends could shift significantly as more rounds are counted, with clearer patterns expected only later in the day. (Agencies)
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