Lok Sabha elections 2019 results HIGHLIGHTS: BJP notches impressive show in Bengal assembly by-polls

Background

New Delhi: The stage is set for the much-awaited results of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, as the counting of votes for the same began at 8am on Thursday. The counting is taking place amid very high security, after several incidents of violence were reported across Chief Minister Mamata’s state.

West Bengal, which has 42 Lok Sabha seats, voted in seven phases on April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12 and 19. The main parties in the state are Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janta Party and Left.

The voting percentage in the state was recorded one of the highest in the country, as majority of West Bengal stepped out of their houses to exercise their right.

In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of seats, were bagged by Mamata’s Trinamool Congress (34 seats), whereas the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won only two seats.

Some of the most important leaders who have contested the polls this year are SS Ahluwalia, Babul Supriyo, Locket Chatterjee who is an actress and President of State Mahila Morcha, MC leaders Dinesh Trivedi, Moon Moon Sen, BJP leaders Joy Banerjee who is a veteran actor, former President Pranab Mukherjee’s sister-in-law and Congress leader Suvra Ghosh and Deepa Das Munshi.

The counting of votes for 543 seats will be electing the 17^th Lok Sabha of our country, where the fate of over 2,000 parties and their 8,000 candidates has been decided, and will be out today.

The party which bags highest number of seats is set to appoint a Prime Minister. The biggest contest can be seen between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

22:34 PM (IST)  •  23 May 2019

Jumping parties has augured well for most of BJP candidates, who defected either from state's ruling Trinamool Congress or the Left parties, as they were in the lead in the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP candidates in at least 10 of the state's 42 constituencies have been imported from other parties, or are fresh recruits into the saffron fold.

22:29 PM (IST)  •  23 May 2019

Stretching its stunning Lok Sabha performance to the Assembly by-polls in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday wrested the Bhatpara seat from the Trinamool Congress on Thursday and took an unassailable lead in three other constituencies

20:11 PM (IST)  •  23 May 2019

After close to nine hours of counting, BJP is leading in 18 of the 42 seats in the state, up from only two in 2014, while the Trinamool was ahead in 23 seats, 11 down from 34 which it had won in the last Lok Sabha elections. The Congress became more marginalised leading in only one seat, while for the first time after independence, the Left failed to open its account in the state, as the Trinamool and the BJP engaged in a see-saw battle in many of the seats.

19:50 PM (IST)  •  23 May 2019

BJP President Amit Shah: Even after so much violence and rigging, BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal. It tells that in coming days, BJP will establish its might in West Bengal.

19:35 PM (IST)  •  23 May 2019

With more security personnel than party workers, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's house and the street leading to her residence in South Kolkata's Kalighat wore a deserted look on Thursday with counting trends for the Lok Sabha polls showing a big increase in the BJP's numbers and a consequent decrease in the ruling party's tally of seats.