TMC leads comfortably against BJP in West Bengal, Congress a distant third

Lok Sabha election 2024 results: As per early trends, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading in at least 32 of the total 42 seats in the state. While the BJP is leading in nine, the Congress is comfortable in two as per trends seen around 12 pm.

Among notable candidates, the Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is leading in Bahrampur. Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, is holding his Diamond Harbour seat. Trinamool’s Mala Roy and Sudip Bandyopadhyay are leading in Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar respectively.

The BJP’s Agnimitra Paul is maintaining her lead in Medinipur. Conversely, former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who joined the BJP shortly before the election, is trailing behind Trinamool’s Debangshu Bhattacharya in Tamluk. Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra, suspended from the Lok Sabha last year, is trailing in Krishnanagar, where BJP candidate Amrita Roy is leading.

West Bengal is a crucial battleground in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is aiming to wrest control from Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool, hoping a strong performance in the state will boost their goal of securing 370 seats overall, and possibly reaching the ambitious ‘abki baar, 400 paar’ target.

Lok Sabha election 2024 results vs Exit polls

Exit polls had given the BJP an edge over the Trinamool, predicting the saffron party might win 23 seats, reducing Trinamool to 18. The Congress, which won two seats in 2019, is forecasted to secure only one. If these predictions hold, it would be a significant victory for Prime Minister Modi’s party, which has targeted Trinamool persistently since its heavy loss in the 2021 state elections.

In response to exit poll data released on Sunday, Mamata Banerjee dismissed the predictions as inconsistent with ground reality, labeling them as “manufactured at home” by some individuals. She cited the inaccuracy of previous exit polls from 2016, 2019, and 2021, emphasizing their lack of reliability. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also rejected the exit poll figures, with central committee member Sujan Chakraborty deeming the data unreliable.

BJP’s state unit president Sukanta Majumdar expressed confidence, claiming the party would secure at least 25 seats in Bengal, a statement initially met with skepticism within his party but now gaining broader acceptance.

The exit poll predictions varied, with two of twelve pollsters forecasting the NDA could win up to 401 seats, while others suggested the alliance might secure between 378 and 392 seats. The lowest prediction for the NDA was 281 seats, comfortably above the 272-seat majority mark.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties, remained optimistic despite exit polls suggesting it might only secure between 107 and 182 seats.

As vote counting progresses, all eyes are on the final results, which will determine whether the BJP can achieve its ambitious goals and how the political landscape of Bengal and India will be shaped for the coming years.