The Trinamool Congress and the BJP were in a neck-and-neck competition in Bengal before Mamata Banerjee's party took the lead. However, BJP is now leading in 18 seats, which is a big jump from last time's win in two seats. A close competition ensues between the parties.
The BJP is heading for a landslide victory with the party alone set to cross the 300 mark on its own as leads showed a NDA sweep in the national elections.
The crucial Lok Sabha election results will be announced today after a marathon seven-phased election. West Bengal is a crucial state as it sends 42 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha. The Mamata Banerjee-ruled state had a majority the 2014 elections with 34 wins for her party Trinamool Congress. Exit polls have predicted 14 seats for the BJP this time; only two from the party won last time. Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the state, has been one of the fiercest critics of the Narendra Modi government.
Bengal has been marred by violence since the beginning of the elections with Section 144 being imposed in Bhatpara on Tuesday. Bombs were flung; cars were set on fire in the North 24 Parganas district before the Election Commission imposed prohibitory orders.
Last week, a statue of Bengal reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised at BJP chief Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata. Trinamool and BJP blamed each other for the violence. A day later, the Election Commission invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to prohibit campaigning in nine constituencies of West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday until the conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.
Counting of votes is underway and the Election Commission has said the final results will be in only by late evening.
Here are the highlights of Bengal election results:
There was a time when some political parties kept slogans like "let secular forces unite, let secularism stand as one". But between 2014 and 2019, their reality was unveiled and this time no one mustered the courage to try and spread lies under the garb of secularism. They stood exposed.
After 5 years of our governance, the opposition could not find a single issue to blame us. No corruption, no real issues to blame us that tells a story.
We are now building a new India and the first thing to end in this New India will be this caste system that holds us back and divides us. From here on there will only be 2 castes. One caste is 'Poor' and the other caste is of those who will contribute in every smallest way possible to help those who need to be brought out of poverty.
There are many who say Modi-Modi. But this win is not Modi's win. It is the victory of the earnest and honest Indian. It is the victory of those farmers who work night and day, through blood and sweat so that we get our meals. It is a win for that woman in rural India who waited for ages just to get a toilet. It is a win for those who sat in darkness for decades just to see the luxury of a light bulb. This is their victory.
BJP is a special party. Nothing stops us. Nothing holds us back. We work and work tirelessly and stay focused. In fact, there was a time when we were even down to 2. Even when we were down to two, we never gave up. We never went off track. We kept our focus and worked very hard and today we all are here and you all can see and that is our story. And that is what is special about the BJP.
This is the biggest democratic event in the whole world.
To give your life's contribution to the cause of democracy is the essence of democracy... and I thank every single person who has been involved in this process from the bottom of my heart and hold you all in the highest regard.
When Krishna was asked who he represents... he replied, I stand for no one person or people... I stand for Hastinapur... so if today someone has won, it is India that has won... if someone is victorious in this celebration of democracy, it is the people...And hence, I place this victory at the feet of the people of India.
I want to wish the best to all those who were elected today to parliament, and sincerely hope that everyone in parliament will work together for the betterment of the country... and to take the country forward.
There were many state elections too... and I want to congratulate those who have been elected in the respective states.... I salute them and the federal structure of India... I assure them all that we will work together as a team... The Centre will cooperate and work with states every step of the way.
What do I say about Bengal. After being targeted, attacked... many of our party workers even lost their lives in our struggle in Bengal... but we have performed extremely well by getting 18 or 19 seats...I thank every single person in Bengal... every single party worker... every single voter to turn out in spite of all the ragging and violence and come out and vote for the BJP.
"I am shell-shocked. BJP has become govt-in-waiting in Bengal": Chandan Mitra, Trinamool Congress #ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/5U9bJrg2DN
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 23, 2019
सबका साथ + सबका विकास + सबका विश्वास = विजयी भारत
- Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019
Together we grow.
Together we prosper.
Together we will build a strong and inclusive India.
India wins yet again! #VijayiBharat
#WATCH TMC Candidate from Asansol, Moon Moon Sen reacts on present trends,she is trailing BJP candidate Babul Supriyo by over 65,000 votes. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/LFYfTTMMzb
- ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019
Actor-politician Moon Moon Sen, who is trailing Babul Supriyo by over 65,000 votes in Bengal's Asansol, said her party Trinamool Congress should get 35-40 seats in Bengal even as BJP leads in 18 seats in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state."
As the BJP headed for a landslide victory and a second term riding on a stunning performance in states like Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said: "Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers."
"Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers. We have to do a complete review and then we will share our views with you all. Let the counting process be completed fully and the VVPATs matched."
- Maldaha Uttar - Khagen Murmu - BJP
- Mathurapur - Choudhury Mohan Jatua - TMC
- Medinipur - Dilip Ghosh - BJP
- Murshidabad - Abu Taher Khan- TMC
- Purulia - Jyotirmay Singh Mahato - BJP
- Raiganj - Debasree Chaudhuri - BJP
- Ranaghat - Jagannath Sarkar - BJP
- Sreerampur - Debjit Sarkar - BJP
- Tamluk - Sidharthasankar Naskar - BJP
- Uluberia - Sajda Ahmed - TMC
- Birbhum Satabdi Roy TMC
- Bishnupur Khan Saumitra BJP
- Bolpur Asit Kumar Mal TMC
- Burdwan Durgapur Surendrajeet Ahluwalia BJP
- Coochbehar Adhikary Paresh Chandra TMC
- Darjeeling Raju Bista BJP
- Diamond Harbour Abhishek Banerjee TMC
- Dum Dum Saugata Roy TMC
- Ghatal Deepak Adhikari TMC
- Hooghly Locket Chatterjee BJP
- Alipurduars- John Barla - BJP
- Arambag - Aparupa Poddar - TMC
- Asansol - Babul Supriyo - BJP
- Baharampur- Adhir Chowdhury - Cong
- Balurghat - Arpita Ghosh - TMC
- Bangaon- Chandan Mallick - BSP
- Bankura - Dr Subhas Sarkar - BJP
- Barasat - Dr Kakoli Ghoshdastidar -TMC
- Bardhaman Purba - Sunil Kumar Mondal - TMC
- Barrackpore- Dinesh Trivedi - TMC
- Basirhat - Nusrat Jahan Ruhi - TMC
BJP leader Roopa Ganguly on Thursday said that BJP would have won more seats in West Bengal had Trinamool Congress (TMC) not resorted to violence and pressurise the masses in all the seven phases of elections in the state.
"People are tired of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. Had the elections been held in a fair manner BJP would have won more than 30 seats here that is what Banerjee was afraid of, hence the violence in all seven phases," Ms Ganguly told ANI.
She asserted that BJP was afraid for the security of people in those constituencies where BJP performed exceptionally but could not secure a win because of TMC's goons.
"This is an election and there is no second winner here. We are afraid for the people from the places where BJP would not win despite performing well. I am afraid there could be a new surge of violence (by TMC) in those areas, it would be great for the safety of the people of the state if BJP takes a late lead in majority seats," she said.
TMC's Abhishek Banerjee and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew is in the lead in Diamond Harbour.
- John Barla, BJP, Alipurduars
- Aparupa Poddar (Afrin Ali), TMC, Arambag
- Babul Supriyo, BJP, Asansol
- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress, Barhampur
- Chandan Mallick, BSP, Bangaon
Trinamool Congress is leading in 22 seats in Bengal, BJP in 17. Some time back, BJP had taken the lead.
BJP's Babul Supriyo is leading by 3448 votes against Moon Moon Sen of Trinamool Congress from Asansol.
Nusrat Jahan, actor and Trinamool candidate leading in Basirhat.
Neck-and-neck competition in Bengal as BJP and Trinamool lead in 5 seats each.
- For the first time in Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission will tally vote count on EVMs with voter verified paper audit trail slips in five polling stations in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency.
- It will effectively mean that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20,600 such stations.
- In case of a mismatch, the results based on paper slip count will be considered as final.
- The entire exercise of EVM-paper trail machine matching will take an additional four to five hours, poll body officials said.
In Bengal, BJP is leading in 3 seats, Trinamool Congress in 2.
Gearing up for the vote count, the Election Commission has earmarked 58 centres across the state, where 25,000 counting personnel have been deployed for deciphering the mandate that now lies sealed in the EVMs from 78,799 polling stations across 294 assembly segments, reported news agency IANS.