Vote counting for the West Bengal Assembly elections is underway on Monday, 4 May, with state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in-charge Mangal Pandey asserting that the people of the state want development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to IANS from Salt Lake, Pandey said early trends pointed clearly toward a BJP victory.

BJP Leaders Express Confidence in Early Trends

"The initial trends are very clear. The people of the state want a developed Bengal under PM Modi's leadership. They want a double-engine government," Mangal Pandey told IANS.

State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya echoed the confidence, telling reporters: "Early trends are coming out. There are highs and lows, like there were during the voting. Let people enjoy. The formation of the (BJP) government is certain."

BJP leader Shishir Bajoria went further, saying, "With the sunrise, one gets to know how the day will be spent. Everything will become clear in some time, and the BJP is going to create history here with a massive majority."

Counting Process and ECI's New Format

Counting of votes began at 8 a.m. on Monday, with postal ballots counted first. The Election Commission of India (ECI) introduced a revised counting format this cycle: postal ballots are counted exclusively for the first 30 minutes — from 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. — after which postal ballot and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counts proceed simultaneously.

An insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) explained the rationale: "The counting of the postal ballots only for the first 30 minutes is to ensure that the counting of the postal ballots is completed before the completion of the counting of EVM votes." The official added that a clear trend in results would be available by noon under the new process.

Notably, counting is underway for only 293 of 294 Assembly constituencies. The ECI, on Saturday, announced repolling for the entire Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district on 21 May, with results to be declared on 24 May.

The Political Contest: TMC vs BJP

The primary contest in West Bengal is between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the principal opposition, the BJP. In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC won 216 seats, BJP secured 77, and the All India Secular Front (AISF) won one. Neither the Indian National Congress (Congress) nor the CPI(M)-led Left Front managed to win a single seat despite contesting in alliance.

This time, the Left Front and Congress have contested independently, though the Left Front retained a seat-sharing arrangement with AISF. A key challenge for both is simply to open their accounts and re-establish a presence in the state Assembly.

Record Turnout and Exit Poll Predictions

The two-phase polls were held on 23 April and 29 April, recording a near-record turnout of approximately 93 per cent. Most exit polls, barring two, predicted the end of the 15-year TMC regime and the beginning of BJP rule in West Bengal — a projection that BJP leaders are citing as they monitor Monday's count.

With results expected to crystallise by afternoon, all eyes remain on whether the BJP can translate its confidence and exit poll leads into the majority it needs to form a government in the state.