Kolkata
oi-Ashish Rana
The political temperature in West Bengal has peaked ahead of the vote counting, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tightening her grip over the crucial Bhabanipur constituency. Late on Sunday evening, she convened an urgent strategy meeting involving counting agents, councillors and ward-level leaders, underlining the importance her party is placing on every vote as results approach. The details of this meeting have been reported by Ritesh Ghosh of Oneindia Bengal Bureau.
Ahead of West Bengal vote counting on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened a strategy meeting for the Bhabanipur constituency following a record 92.5% turnout and voter deletion controversy, with exit polls predicting a close TMC-BJP contest.
High alert in Bhabanipur before counting day
The meeting, scheduled at 6:30 pm near the Kalighat office, brought together representatives from all eight wards under Bhabanipur. Party insiders indicate that the focus was on ensuring seamless coordination among counting agents and local leaders, leaving no scope for lapses during the crucial counting process.
The counting of votes for 293 Assembly seats will begin on Monday morning, with authorities confirming that 77 counting centres across the state are fully prepared. Officials have emphasised multi-layered security arrangements to ensure a transparent and smooth process.
Two-phase polling and record turnout
The Assembly elections in the state were conducted in two phases, drawing an unprecedented turnout of around 92.5%, the highest recorded so far. However, polling took place amid controversy surrounding the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The exercise led to the deletion of nearly 91 lakh voters, including over 27 lakh after adjudication. Appeals related to these deletions are still pending before 19 tribunals and may continue for an indefinite period. Mamata has been up in arms against the SIR from the beginning, accusing the EC of doing a hatchet job on behalf of the BJP. She has termed the record turnout a “mass protest” against the SIR and voter deletions, claiming that it would benefit her party.
Tight race predicted by exit polls
Exit polls have pointed towards a close battle in the state. While some projections favour a return of the Trinamool Congress to power, others indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party could mount a strong challenge, possibly leading to a split verdict.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC secured 215 seats with nearly 48% vote share, while the BJP won 77 seats with over 38% votes. The current contest is seen as a test of whether the ruling party can maintain its dominance, particularly in South Bengal.
Bhabanipur battle and wider political stakes
Bhabanipur remains a key battleground for Mamata Banerjee, who has held the seat since 2011. This time, she faces a significant challenge from her former aide turned BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari.
Suvendu is also contesting from his stronghold Nandigram, where he defeated Mamata by around 1,900 votes in 2021. Following that loss, Mamata returned to the Assembly by winning the Bhabanipur bypoll with a margin of 58,835 votes. However, the BJP gained some ground in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the TMC’s lead in this segment dropped to just 8,297 votes.
For the TMC, retaining its dominance in South Bengal, especially the Presidency division’s core 111 seats, is crucial. The party will also be watching closely to ensure its Muslim vote base remains intact. Political observers note that if smaller parties manage to cut into this vote share, it could impact outcomes in closely contested constituencies.
At the same time, attention will also be on whether the BJP can consolidate its hold in North Bengal and expand its footprint into regions where the TMC has traditionally remained strong. The results on Monday are expected to shape the next phase of the state’s political landscape.
