New Delhi, May 4: An old statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resurfaced amidst the counting of votes in the West Bengal Assembly elections. In this statement, he had linked the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Bihar to a potential win in Bengal.
During celebrations following the BJP’s significant victory in Bihar, PM Modi remarked, “The Ganges flows from Bihar to Bengal. Bihar’s win has paved the way for victory in West Bengal.”
As initial trends indicate a possible change in power in West Bengal, the Prime Minister’s statement is rapidly gaining traction in political circles. The BJP’s high-energy campaign, featuring extensive rallies and outreach efforts led by PM Modi, is clearly making an impact.
If these trends translate into results, it would mark the first time since independence that the BJP forms a government in West Bengal.
In the first three hours of counting on Monday, the BJP appeared to be leading significantly over the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). By 12:30 PM, trends for 266 out of 293 seats showed the BJP ahead in 173 seats, while the TMC was leading in 90 seats. The Left Front-AISF and AJUP were each ahead in one seat.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is currently leading against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in the high-profile Bhawanipur seat in South Kolkata. Meanwhile, Adhikari is also leading in the Nandigram seat in East Midnapore, where he is contesting again.
Additionally, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agrawal, stated that obtaining permission from the district magistrate and district electoral officer is mandatory before holding victory parades. He urged all political parties to maintain restraint until official results are announced and to avoid any form of violence.
To prevent incidents of post-poll violence similar to those in 2021, the Election Commission has decided to keep 700 companies of central forces deployed in the state indefinitely.
Furthermore, a re-poll will take place on May 21 for the Falta Assembly seat in the South 24 Parganas district, with results to be declared on May 24.
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