DEFYING all exit-poll predictions, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has surged ahead in 29 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, dealing a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) target of securing 35 seats as they just managed to reach double digits. The BJP was leading in 12 seats according to the EC website. Three years after putting a halt to the BJP’s advances in Bengal, the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, again proved its mettle by thwarting the BJP’s formidable campaign, spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi himself.

 

Despite facing a barrage of challenges including corruption allegations and internal conflicts, the TMC stood strong, even after opting to go solo post its withdrawal from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in the State. Political observers note that the BJP in West Bengal had set an ambitious goal of securing 35 Lok Sabha seats, banking on the implementation of the CAA as a potential game-changer and leveraging Hindu polarisation, which fell flat on their face. Despite their fervent efforts, they failed to gain substantial ground, primarily due to internal divisions, organisational frailties, and the formidable impact of the Left-Congress alliance, analysts said. “Internal divisions, organisational weaknesses, and the impact of the Left-Congress alliance all contributed to the BJP’s difficulties in garnering anti-TMC votes,” political analyst Maidul Islam said.

 

The BJP’s tally is likely to decline by six seats, with its vote share dropping by three percentage points to 37. In contrast, the TMC’s vote share increased to 47 per cent, up from 43 per cent in 2019. In the last Lok Sabha polls, the TMC had won 22 seats, the BJP 18, and the Congress two. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front failed to win any seats in 2019 and appears to be repeating that performance, not leading in any of the 42 constituencies. The Congress is leading in one seat.