Desk Correspondent , Kolkata - Counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections began at 8 am, with early trends showing a decisive lead for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The election, seen as a direct contest between the BJP and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee, has drawn nationwide attention.

As per early trends, the BJP surged ahead, crossing the halfway mark of 148 seats and leading in around 192 constituencies. In contrast, the TMC was trailing with leads in about 85 seats, indicating a challenging path in its bid for a fourth consecutive term in the state. The elections were conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29 across 294 constituencies, with counting underway for 293 seats. The Election Commission of India had ordered repolling in certain areas following complaints of electoral irregularities, including alleged Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering. Repolling was carried out in multiple booths in South 24 Parganas districts such as Diamond Harbor and Magrahat Paschim, while the entire Falta constituency is scheduled for repolling on May 21 due to serious electoral violations. Votes from Falta will be counted separately on May 24. Despite incidents of violence and allegations during polling, voter turnout remained exceptionally high, crossing 92% across both phases. Authorities received numerous complaints related to EVM tampering, with reports suggesting attempts to obstruct voting through various means. Among the key contests, Mamata Banerjee is contesting from Bhabanipur, facing BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in a closely watched electoral battle.

With counting still in progress, the BJP’s strong early lead has set the tone for a potentially historic outcome in West Bengal. However, final results and the impact of repolling in key constituencies will ultimately determine the state’s political future.