Counting of votes for the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly Elections began at 8 AM on May 4, setting the stage for a decisive political battle in one of India’s most crucial states.
The outcome will determine whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) returns to power for a fourth consecutive term or if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scripts history by forming its first government in the state.
Counting is underway for 293 out of 294 assembly segments across 77 centres in 23 districts, under tight multi-layered security arrangements. The electoral fate of 2,926 candidates hangs in the balance.
The elections were conducted in two phases — April 23 (152 seats) and April 29 (142 seats) — recording an unprecedented voter turnout of 92.47%, the highest since Independence, according to the Election Commission of India.
The polls were also marked by controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, during which nearly 91 lakh names were removed from electoral rolls, reducing the total voter base to approximately 6.82 crore.
Repolling was conducted on May 2 in select booths of Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour, while the Election Commission countermanded polling in the Falta constituency citing “severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process.” Fresh polling in Falta is scheduled for May 21, with counting on May 24.
As per procedure, postal ballots are being counted first, followed by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), with multiple rounds of counting expected in each constituency. Early trends are anticipated soon.
The contest remains intense, with TMC aiming to consolidate its dominance, BJP pushing for a breakthrough, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front and the Indian National Congress are striving to regain political ground after their setbacks in the 2021 elections.
