Election results: After trailing briefly, TMC takes lead in Bengal
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading in West Bengal after briefly trailing behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As of 11:15am, the TMC was leading in 28 seats, followed by 12 seats for the BJP and one each for Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Among those leading from their respective seats is ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan. After trailing behind earlier, he has now taken the lead over Congress's Adhir Chowdhury in Baharampur.
Key players hold ground in West Bengal election
TMC senior leader Abhishek Banerjee is alo leading in his Diamond Harbour seat, while other party leaders like Mala Roy and Sudip Bandyopadhyay are holding onto their respective Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar seats. Surprisingly, Mahua Moitra is trailing in Krishnanagar with a margin of over 12,000 votes. On the BJP side, Agnimitra Paul is maintaining her Medinipur seat, while former judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay leads from the Tamluk constituency.
West Bengal emerges as key battleground
West Bengal has become a crucial battleground in this election, with the BJP aiming to seize control from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, TMC. A strong performance in this eastern state could significantly enhance the BJP's bid to reach its internal target of 370 seats and overall "abki baar, 400 paar." While exit polls favored the BJP with 23 seats, Banerjee dismissed these forecasts as inconsistent with ground reality, claiming they were "manufactured at home" for media consumption.
