West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections 2024: TMC Leading in Early Trends, BJP Close Behind

In the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in West Bengal, the All-India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken an early lead in the initial trends, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following closely behind. The electoral battleground of West Bengal has witnessed a hotly contested race on various key seats, shaping the political landscape of the state.

The highly anticipated polling in Krishnanagar constituency has seen the expulsion of incumbent MP Mahua Moitra from the TMC, pitting her against BJP‘s ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy. Noteworthy battles also include the face-off between Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the opposition in the lower house, and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan in Bahrampur. Additionally, Nisith Pramanik and Abhishek Banerjee are among the prominent candidates vying to retain their seats in Cooch Behar and Diamond Harbour, respectively, while former Calcutta High Court Judge Abijit Gangopadhyay is in the electoral fray from Tamluk.

In the previous Lok Sabha elections of 2019, the TMC secured 22 seats while the BJP closely followed with 18 seats, a performance both parties are seeking to replicate in the current elections. Notably, Congress and the Left managed to secure one seat each in the previous polls, contributing to the multi-faceted political narrative of the state.

The state of West Bengal saw voting conducted across all seven phases, commencing in April and ending on June 1. With a notable voter turnout of over 70% in most phases, corruption allegations and women’s safety issues have steered the political dialogue in the state. Moreover, incidents of violence, including an attack on a school bus that led to the tragic death of a child and injuries to others, have reignited concerns of political unrest associated with certain factions.

As the electoral results unfold, the early leads indicate a neck-and-neck competition between the TMC and the BJP on various constituencies, setting the stage for a riveting denouement that will shape the future political dynamics of West Bengal in the upcoming parliamentary term.