Vote counting is underway for 293 seats in West Bengal, while polling in one seat—Falta—will be held again on May 21.
According to early trends, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading with a majority, ahead in 194 seats, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading in 93 seats. The BJP is currently showing around 45% vote share, compared to TMC’s 42%.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Election Commission of acting arbitrarily and said that her party will ultimately emerge victorious after the final round of counting.
Meanwhile, vandalism was reported at a TMC office camp in Asansol.
On the Bhabanipur seat, Mamata Banerjee is leading, while Suvendu Adhikari is trailing. In the area where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had campaigned and famously ate “jhalmuri,” the BJP is leading in all four seats—Jhargram, Binpur, Gopiballavpur, and Nayagram.
Compared to the 2021 elections, BJP’s vote share appears to have increased by about 6%. According to the Election Commission, the party is currently at around 45% vote share and is leading in 117 more seats than in the previous election.
