Vote counting for West Bengal election has begun. Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee has crossed the halfway mark in West Bengal, whereas the BJP seems to have made gains since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Early trends show that, Trinamool Congress is leading in 158 seats while the BJP is ahead in 124 seats.

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However, according to early trends, CM Mamata Banerjee herself is trailing in Nandigram by over 7,000 votes. Ms. Banerjeea, after vacating her Bhabanipur seat, is contesting against the BJP’s Suvendhu Adhikari, her ex-aide, whose December defection triggered a flood of exits from the Trinamool Congress. She has posed a direct challenge to Suvendu Adhikari.

According to early trends (at 10:33 am) of which 70% are postal ballots, TMC was seen crossing the majority mark of 147. The strength of the legislative assembly house has come down as 2 MLAs have passed away since the elections began.

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Official trends at 10:40 am showed that the TMC was ahead of the BJP on 112 seats, while the latter was leading on 58. According to official data of Election Commission, former Bengal minister and TMC leader Madan Mitra is leading from Kamarhati with 5,577 EVM votes, while BJP candidate Anindya Banerjee is trailing with 1,817 votes. Actor and TMC leader Soham Chakraborty is currently leading in Chandipur and BJP’s Papiya Adhikari trailing by 675 votes. BJP candidate from Sitalkuchi, is leading by 65 votes. The place of Sitalkuchi witnessed violence allegedly triggered by the unprovoked firing by the central forces.

On Sunday, the counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections began at 8 am amid strict health protocols, as it is taking place amid a raging second wave of Covid-19.

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BJP having just three seats in the 294-member Assembly in the 2016 Assembly polls went to win 18 out of 42 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. It had pulled out all stops in the state in a determined bid to unseat TMC from power. Mamata Banerjee is a vocal critic of Modi and has often been the sole outright voice in opposition against the policies of BJP-led central government.

As BJP looks desperate to break into the opposition’s last bastion in the East, people across the country have their eyes fixed on the West Bengal election results.