The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were locked in a close contest in West Bengal, with the BJP holding a slight edge after the first two hours of vote counting on Monday.
As of 10 a.m., trends were available for 176 out of the state’s 293 Assembly constituencies. The BJP was leading in 90 seats, while the TMC followed closely with leads in 82 constituencies. The Congress and CPI(M) were ahead in two seats each, indicating a largely bipolar contest between the BJP and TMC in the early stages.
In Malda district, Congress candidates were leading in Malatipur and Mothabari, both minority-dominated constituencies. Mausam Benazir Noor, a former Lok Sabha MP who rejoined Congress ahead of the polls, was leading from Malatipur.
CPI(M) candidates were ahead in Jalangi and Domkal constituencies in Murshidabad district, also areas with significant minority populations.
Among prominent BJP leaders, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was leading from Nandigram in East Midnapore. Former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh was ahead in Kharagpur Sadar, while Agnimitra Paul led in Asansol Dakshin. Swapan Dasgupta was also among the BJP leaders showing early leads.
On the other hand, some members of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet faced early setbacks. Women and Child Development Minister Dr Sashi Panja was trailing marginally in the Shyampukur constituency.
Trends were still awaited for the high-profile Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata, where Mamata Banerjee is contesting against Suvendu Adhikari.
The counting process involves multiple rounds, ranging from 10 to 26 depending on the constituency, and trends are expected to shift as more rounds are completed.
