ABP News-Nielsen Survey: Huge gains for BJP in West Bengal, not enough to outmuscle TMC

Despite the BJP recording its best-ever tally in the state, that may not be enough to outmuscle the TMC.

Chief minister of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. (PIC/AFP)

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to see significant gains in its seat count in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections West Bengal but it is Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress which will yet again take the lion’s share, ABP News-Nielsen’s latest Opinion Poll has predicted. The survey has revealed the Trinamool Congress to get 31 of the 42 seats in the state. The figure is less than what it had achieved in 2014 polls. The BJP may win 8 seats which is four times more than what it won in the last election. The survey has found that the Congress will win three seats one more than what it had achieved in 2014 general elections in the state. According to the opinion poll, TMC is projected to sweep all seven seats in state capital Kolkata. Even in the Naxal-affected regions, the TMC is pegged to win all four seats. The CPM which was a formidable force in the state for almost two decades, is not expected to bag any seat and appears to be completely obliterated. The survey findings also depict that Mamata Banerjee is no doubt the tallest leader in the state. Despite the BJP recording its best-ever tally in the state, that may not be enough to outmuscle the TMC. In the previous Lok Sabha polls, TMC stomped to victory by snatching 34 out of the allotted 42 seats with a 39.4% vote share. The CPI (M) looked as a pushover getting two seats with the BJP also looking out of sorts with two. The TMC not only made a clean sweep in its stronghold in south Bengal districts, winning 30 out of 31 seats. Congress managed to get 4 parliamentary seats. Congress's vote share in the state was 9.6 per cent. The Left recorded its worst performance since Independence winning two seats with 23 per cent vote share. The BJP bagged 17.06 percent vote share with two seats. The BJP's vote share jumped by 11.14 per cent due to Narendra Modi wave. The Lok Sabha elections in 42 constituencies of the state this year will take place in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Akin to Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will also undergo voting in seven phases. Here’s the seat-wise break-up: Cooch Behar – TMC Alipurduar - BJP Jalpaiguri - TMC Raiganj - BJP Balurghat -BJP Bahrampur - Congress Murshidabad - TMC Krishnanagar - BJP Ranaghat - TMC Bangaon - BJP Barrackpore - BJP Barasat - TMC Basirhat - TMC Jaynagar - TMC Mathurapur - TMC Srirampur - TMC Hoogly - TMC Arambag - TMC Tamluk - TMC Kanthi -TMC Ghatal - TMC Midnapore - TMC Bishnupur - TMC Bardhaman (East) – TMC Bardhaman-Durgapur – TMC Bolpur -TMC Kolkata: All 7 seats Kolkata South -TMC Kolkata North-TMC Howrah -TMC Uluberia -TMC Diamond Harbour -TMC Jadhavpur -TMC Dum Dum-TMC   Naxal affected regions: Jhargram  - TMC Purulia – TMC Bankura - TMC Birbhum - TMC Major cities: Darjeeling - BJP Asansol - BJP Jangipur - Congress Malda (North) - TMC Malda (South) – Congress