Ballots turn Bulldozers- Trinamool’s ‘Qila’ reduced to rubble as BJP rises in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 04: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading towards historic victory in West Bengal assembly elections. In the results and trends received till 5 pm, BJP is seen to be far ahead of the absolute majority mark. According to the results and trends of 293 seats, BJP has so far won 18 seats and is leading on 184 seats, whereas Trinamool Congress has won 8 seats and is leading on 77 seats. Apart from this, Aam Janata Unnayan Party and Congress are leading on two seats each, whereas All India Secular Front and Marxist Communist Party are leading on one seat each.

In the results received so far, BJP has won Manteswar and Bhatar seats of Purba Bardhaman, Asansol South of Paschim Bardhaman and Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Medinipur, Burwan, Khardah, Jagatballavpur, Ranibandh and Jamuria seats of Alipurduar district, whereas Trinamool has been successful in Bhagwangola seat of Murshidabad district, Sujapur of Malda and Metiabruz seat of Kolkata. According to the Election Commission, BJP’s Saikat Panja defeated former state minister and Trinamool candidate Siddiqullah Chowdhury by 14,798 votes in Manteswar seat, whereas BJP’s Karfa Soumen has been declared victorious by 6,528 votes in Bhatar seat. Meanwhile, BJP’s Agnimitra Pal won the Asansol South seat in West Burdwan by a huge margin of 40,839 votes, while BJP’s Bharat Kumar Chhetri won the Kalimpong seat by 21,464 votes. Party candidate Shankar Kumar Guchait won the Medinipur seat by 38,747 votes. Meanwhile, Nauman Rai won the Darjeeling seat by 6,057 votes. Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured success in Murshidabad’s Bhagwangola seat, where its candidate Reyat Hussain Sarkar won by 56,407 votes. 

The contest in Kolkata’s high-profile Bhawanipur was volatile. After initially trailing, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the lead. However, the gap between the two began to narrow in the afternoon. According to the latest information, after the 13th round of counting, Mamata Banerjee is leading her BJP rival, Suvendu Adhikari, by just 5,000 votes. However, several candidates in Mamata’s cabinet appear to be lagging behind. Notable among them are Malay Ghatak, Shashi Panja, Udayan Guha, Paresh Chandra Adhikari, Sujit Basu, Birwaha Hansda, Rajiv Banerjee, and Indranil Sen.

Several heavyweight candidates are lagging behind, while others are on their way to victory

Prominent candidates from other parties include senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Kolkata Mayor and CPI(M) candidate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar, and former Union Minister and Congress candidate Mausam Benazir Noor. Prominent BJP candidates who have established decisive leads include former Union Minister Nishith Pramanik, former MP Roopa Ganguly, former state president Dilip Ghosh, former MP Swapan Dasgupta, former MP Arjun Singh, former state minister Tapas Roy, Rekha Patra, who made headlines during the Sandeshkhali movement, former state president Dilip Ghosh, and the mother of the RG Kar victim. Party leader Suvendu Adhikari is also leading in the Nandigram seat. ISF chief Naushad Siddiqui and Aam Janata Unnay Party founder president Humayun Kabir are also leading. The

BJP is poised for a landslide victory in Purba and Paschim Bardhaman

The BJP has achieved unprecedented success in Purba and Paschim Bardhaman districts. The BJP has already won the Bhatar, Manteswar, and Jamuria seats in Purba Bardhaman, while leading in several others. BJP candidates have consistently maintained a lead in all nine seats in the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt of Paschim Bardhaman. While Agnimitra Pal of the BJP has been declared victorious in the Asansol South seat, BJP candidates have maintained a consistent lead in Raniganj, Jamuria, Kulti, Asansol North, Durgapur East and West, and Pandaveswar since morning.

The BJP’s grip on Jangalmahal strengthens, with a clean sweep in Purulia and Bankura

The BJP is leading in most of the seats in the four Jangalmahal districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia, and Jhargram. This tribal-dominated region, once lagging behind in development, appears to be showing signs of change. BJP candidates appear to be winning nine seats in Purulia and all 12 seats in Bankura. BJP candidate Laxmikant Saw is leading in the Jhargram Assembly seat. Similarly, BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh is leading in the Kharagpur Assembly seat in West Midnapore. BJP candidates are also leading in the Sabang, Daspur, and Ghatal Assembly seats, while the Chandrakona seat is witnessing a close contest between the two major parties.

The BJP continues its impressive performance in North Bengal

The BJP, already strong in North Bengal, appears to be strengthening its hold. The party is performing well in five districts of the region: Darjeeling, Malda, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar. BJP candidates are leading in most of the seats in these districts. The BJP is also ahead of the Trinamool Congress in North and South Dinajpur districts. Central forces have been deployed at key locations, including the State Secretariat, as indications of a change of power in the state emerge. In addition, central forces are being deployed at other locations where disturbances are suspected.

Mamata appealed to workers to remain patient

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress chief and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed her workers to remain patient at the counting centers. In a video posted on social media on Monday afternoon, Mamata Banerjee urged that no candidate or counting agent should leave the counting center. She accused the BJP of a conspiracy, alleging that information is being provided in areas where the BJP is leading, while counting is being deliberately delayed in areas where the Trinamool is leading. She also questioned the role of the Election Commission.

Suvendu attributed the success to the fragmentation of the minority vote bank

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said that the BJP is achieving better-than-expected results even in Muslim-majority areas due to the division of Muslim votes. Speaking to the media during the counting of votes on Monday, Suvendu Adhikari said that initial trends show the BJP heading towards a clear majority in the state. He said that a large number of Hindu voters are voting unitedly in this election, while Muslim votes are divided among different parties. In many places, Muslim voters supported other parties, while in some areas the BJP also received Muslim votes. It is noteworthy that the BJP also achieved significant success in Muslim-majority districts like Malda, Murshidabad, and North Dinajpur. The BJP is leading in six of the 12 seats in Malda, eight of the 22 seats in Murshidabad, and four of the nine seats in North Dinajpur.