Trinamool Congress surges ahead in Bengal in 18 seats, BJP 3, show trends
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was leading in 18 of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies while the BJP was ahead in two and Congress one, as per early trends of the Election Commission.
The state voted in all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.
Most of the pollsters have predicted massive gains for the BJP in West Bengal. India Today-Axis My India has forecast anywhere between 26–31 seats for the BJP and between 11-14 for the TMC.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 18 of the state's 42 seats. The TMC had won 22 seats.
On Monday, ahead of the counting of votes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the predictions were "manufactured at home" two months back.
She claimed that such exit polls had no value and cited how pollsters had gotten their predictions wrong in the 2016 and 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, both of which were won handsomely by the Trinamool Congress.
The BJP, on the other hand, has exuded confidence of a better showing in the state and hopes it would get more seats compared to Trinamool Congress.
