People of West Bengal have rejected TMC: Bengal BJP chief
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said he was confident of a landslide victory, as counting of votes for the assembly elections began on Monday morning.
Counting of votes for 293 seats of the assembly began at 8 am, as the TMC eyes a fourth straight term in power and the BJP seeks to script history by forming its first government in the state.
"People of the state have already rejected the Trinamool Congress government and in a few hours, the overwhelming majority of the seats will confirm that in the fight between Mamata Banerjee and the people, people have rejected Mamata Banerjee," Bhattacharya said outside a counting centre in Kolkata.
Early trends show BJP ahead as counting begins
Early trends from multiple television networks on Monday indicated the opposition BJP edging ahead as counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections got underway across centres in the state.
The Election Commission is yet to come out with any official figures.
According to TV 9 Bangla, the TMC was leading in around 11 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 14 seats.
Zee News said TMC was ahead in 18 seats and the BJP in 21.
Figures from Republic Bangla indicated the TMC leading in 4 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 19 seats.
The counting of votes for the state's 293 Assembly constituencies began at 8 am, with postal ballots taken up first in keeping with Election Commission norms.
Counting of EVM votes commenced at 8 am, officials said.
The high-stakes election is being seen as a crucial test for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party's bid for a fourth consecutive term, amid a stiff challenge mounted by the BJP.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress are also hoping to improve their tally after successive electoral setbacks.
Political observers say the results will also be read as a barometer of the BJP's ability to expand its footprint in eastern India, while a strong showing by the TMC would reinforce its dominance in the state.
Counting is expected to continue through the day, with clearer trends likely to emerge by afternoon.
Counting of votes for Bengal polls begins as TMC eyes fourth straight term, BJP to script history
Counting of votes for the high-stakes assembly elections in West Bengal began at 8 am on Monday, with the verdict set to decide whether the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC returns to power for a fourth consecutive term or the BJP scripts history by forming its first government in the state.
The counting is being held for 293 of 294 assembly segments in 77 centres across 23 districts of the state under a multi-layered security cordon, deciding the fate of 2,926 candidates.
The elections were held under the shadow of the SIR exercise, in which the names of around 91 lakh people were removed from the electoral rolls, which shrank to around 6.82 crore.
The polling was held in two phases -- on April 23 for 152 seats and on April 29 for 142 seats, recording a voter turnout of 92.47 per cent -- the highest since Independence, according to the Election Commission.
While repolling was held in 11 booths of Magrahat Paschim and four in Diamond Harbour assembly segment on May 2, the EC countermanded polls in the adjacent Falta constituency, citing "severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process during polling in a large number of polling stations".
The fresh poll in that seat will take place on May 21, and counting on May 24.
The postal ballots, through which those engaged in poll duty vote, are being counted first, followed by the EVMs. Several rounds of counting will be held in every seat, with early trends expected shortly.
The elections have been keenly contested, with the ruling TMC aiming to retain power for a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP is seeking a historic breakthrough in the state. The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress are looking to regain lost ground after their rout in the 2021 elections.
More than 2.5 lakh personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), along with state police, have been deployed, with the TMC and BJP engaging in a showdown outside several strongrooms, where EVMs were stored, in the run-up to the counting.
In state capital Kolkata, counting for 11 assembly constituencies is being conducted across five locations -- Ballygunge Govt High School, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University, Sakhawat Memorial Govt Girls' High School, Netaji Indoor Stadium and St Thomas Boys' School.
TMC contested 291 seats, while its ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), led by Anit Thapa, fielded candidates in three seats in the Darjeeling Hills. The BJP fielded candidates in all 294 seats, while the Congress contested 292 seats.
The four-party Left Front contested 246 seats, and lent support to CPIM(L) Liberation on 10 assembly segments, ISF and SDPI on 29 seats, and an Independent and other Left-wing outfits on the remaining seats.
The campaign witnessed a high-decibel contest, with senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, targeting the TMC on issues such as corruption, law and order, infiltration, women's safety and unemployment.
The TMC, led by Chief Minister Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee -- the party's national general secretary, countered with a campaign focused on alleged harassment of people during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Bengali pride.
In the 2021 elections, the TMC had won 215 seats, while the BJP bagged 77, and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and ISF one seat each.
Among the prominent TMC candidates are CM Banerjee, who is being challenged by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur, state ministers Sujit Bose in Bidhannagar, Firhad Hakim in Kolkata Port, Jyoti Priya Mallick in Habra, Bratya Basu in Dum Dum, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay in Ballygunge, Aroop Biswas in Tollygunge, Manas Bhuniya in Sabang, Moloy Ghatak in Asansol Uttar, Udayan Guha in Dinhata, Shashi Panja in Shyampukur and Chandrima Bhattacharya in Dum Dum Uttar.
The BJP's heavyweight candidates include ex-MP Nisith Pramanik in Mathabhanga, Sankar Ghosh in Siliguri, Gouri Shankar Ghosh in Murshidabad, Subrata Thakur in Gaighata, ex-MP Dilip Ghosh in Kharagpur Sadar, Koustav Bagchi in Barrackpur, Ratna Debnath in Panihati, Sajal Ghosh in Baranagar, Rekha Patra in Hingalganj, Roopa Ganguly in Sonarpur Dakshin, Arjun Singh in Noapara, Swapan Dasgupta in Rashbehari and Rudranil Ghosh in Shibpur.
Also in the fray are CPI(M)'s Minakshi Mukherjee in Uttarpara, Dipsita Dhar in Dum Dum Uttar, Kalatan Dasgupta in Panihati, ex-MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya in Jadavpur, ISF MLA Nawsad Siddiqui in Bhangar, ex-MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar in Sreerampur.
All preparations are in place here: CEO Manoj Agarwal
Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said, “All preparations are in place here. All the halls are ready, there are 458 halls, and everything is set. Micro-observers have also been arranged wherever required.”
TMC alleges Swarupnagar candidate, agents barred from counting centre
Trinamool alleges the Swarupnagar candidate and the counting agents are not being allowed to enter the counting centre.
On eve of election results, Mamata tells party workers to stay awake all night, file complaints
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told her party workers to stay vigilant, remain awake at night, and file complaints, on the eve of the Bengal Assembly poll results.
In a social media post on X, she wrote, "I'm receiving reports from various places that load-shedding is being deliberately imposed. From Hooghly's Serampore, Nadia’s Krishnanagar, to Burdwan's Ausgram, and Kolkata's Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, such incidents have come to light where load-shedding is being done in phases, CCTV is being turned off, and vehicles are moving in and out of strong rooms. I am calling upon my party workers: just as I am staying up all night to keep an eye on everything, you too stay up all night and guard the people's votes in the strong rooms. If anyone creates any suspicious situation anywhere, surround them, file complaints immediately, and demand CCTV footage. All of this is being done at the behest of the BJP."
Nandigram ready for D-Day
Party agents arrive at Nandigram counting centre ahead of vote counting.
Asansol BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul warns of BJP 'tsunami'
BJP candidate from Asansol South Assembly constituency, Agnimitra Paul, says, "A tsunami is going to come. The people of Bengal have called for a tsunami by casting 92% votes, all leaders against this will fly away..."
TMC polling agent alleges discrimination
A TMC worker says, "They are not allowing us to take files or pens inside, but the BJP polling agents are allowed to take them inside. Rules should be the same for everyone. We are the people of Mamata Banerjee. There is no bigger identity than this."
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya advocates for 'change'
Ahead of counting of votes for West Bengal Elections 2026, CPI(M) candidate for Jadavpur constituency, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, says, "It is the result day today. I am hopeful of the Left having performed well this time...There should be a change. Common people are upset with the Govt. Let's see what the results would be..."
BJP counting agent hurls allegations at TMC counterparts
A BJP counting agent says, "They are not carrying their ID cards. We are wearing our ID cards. They are creating a ruckus unnecessarily. BJP is winning with a majority in West Bengal and even in Bhabanipur..."
AJUP founder Humayun Kabir upbeat ahead of poll result
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder Humayun Kabir, says, "I am 100 per cent confident of win. The Election Commission has made arrangements for counting in Baharampur for five seats, the arrangements are good. Everything should be good. Let's wait for 4-5 hours, everything will be clear by then."
Verbal spat between TMC and BJP at Kolkata counting centre
A verbal argument broke out between the counting agents of TMC and BJP outside the counter centre at Sakhawat Memorial School in Bhabanipur assembly constituency.
VVPAT slips lying on the streets, says CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim
In the midst of high voltage drama related to safety of Strong Rooms, VVPAT slips are lying on the street. Mostly votes casted in favour of CPI(M) Noapara candidate Gargi Chatterjee: Md Salim
BJP confident of victory in Bengal
State BJP Media co-incharge Chandrashekar Basotia, on result expectations, says, “For the first time, the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to form a government in West Bengal, and it will be with an absolute majority. The 92% voter turnout demonstrates that people were fed up with this regime.”
Camera blackout at Kolkata strongroom draws TMC ire
TMC minister Shashi Panja releases video footage of cameras not working at Khudiram Anushilini stadium, Kolkata strongroom.
Security tightened at Siliguri counting centre
West Bengal Poll Results 2026: Security heightened at a counting centre in Siliguri ahead of the counting of votes.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 seat distribution
Seat distribution between the parties in Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.
Credit: TTO Graphics
Which districts hold the key?
District wise distribution of seats in 2019.
Credit: TTO Graphics
