"SIR Didn't Help Us": BJP As It Surges Past Majority Mark In West Bengal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has delivered a big blow to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, early counting trends show. The BJP has crossed the majority mark and is currently leading in 191 of the state's 294 seats. If the trend holds, it could mark a major political shift in the state with the TMC losing after 15 years in power.

The election is particularly significant as it comes after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which saw large-scale voter deletions across constituencies.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao rejected suggestions that SIR played a role in the outcome.

“It is not a valid conclusion. If you take the constituencies where there were large SIR deletions and ones where there were less, the BJP is performing well in both sections. So, saying SIR contributed to BJP victory would be completely erroneous. It is a motivated conclusion and not based on facts,” he told NDTV.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narshimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) speaks to NDTV on BJP's performance in West Bengal #ResultsWithNDTVpic.twitter.com/g1WiLN42Rb

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Rao also said the overall trend was unlikely to change. “I don't see any possibility of reversal of this trend now. It is already over two hours into the counting, and, for the past one hour and over, I have continuously been tracking even ECI official trends, according to which we are over 50 per cent ahead of TMC,” he said.

He added that the party was on course for a decisive mandate. “The BJP is headed for a big majority government. It will be a significant majority.”

Rao described the outcome as a sweeping shift across regions including areas long considered TMC strongholds. “I think it is a kind of sweep across the state. There is a jump in voting turnout in each constituency, and the swing a constituency has seen, I think they will have a very strong correlation,” he said.

He specifically pointed to high turnout in urban pockets. “Seats which have seen massive turnout, particularly in the Kolkata region where voter turnout went up nearly by 25-30 per cent - I think those were the seats which were considered to be fortresses for TMC and they have also fallen,” Rao said.

According to him, the nature of polling played a key role in the outcome. “Mainly because of the fearless elections where people have turned out and spoken. A free and fair election has certainly contributed to this victory. The fear Mamata evoked has certainly given way to the public,” he said.

Polling in West Bengal was conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Repolling was later ordered in the Falta constituency and at a few other booths.