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.
