West Bengal Exit Polls Predict Mamata Banerjee’s Smooth Comeback

In West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee maybe set to retain power with a slightly reduced majority.

According to ABP-Nielsen, the TMC would win 163 of the 294 assembly seats. The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress combine would get 126 with a solitary seat going to the BJP. Others would get four seats.

• Agencies have predicted a safe win for TMC leader Mamata Banerjee.
  
• West Bengal Assembly Election was held in six phases.
  
• Three major players: TMC, CPI(M)-Congress, and the BJP.
  
• After Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal Assembly has the highest number of seats.
  
• TMC's Mamata Banerjee has been the Chief Minister since May 2011.
  
• Vivekananda flyover collapse, Narada, Saradha Scams have marred Banerjee's campaign.
  
• The Election Commission of India had sent a show cause notice to Banerjee for breach of Model Code of Conduct in Asansol.
  

#GameOfVotes: It's the big 2016 exit polls. Mamata likely to retain power in WB., BJP likely to win Assam. https://t.co/3cEglDThGo

However, ABP-Nielsen has also warned that in 25 constituencies the margin of victory was set to be less than five percent, and the final outcome could drastically change depending on the results in these seats.

C-Voter also predicted 167 seats for the TMC, 75 for the Left, 45 for the Congress, four to the BJP and three to others.

NewsX-Today's Chanakya predicted a whopping 210 (plus or minus 14) seats for the TMC, 70 (plus or minus nine) for the Left-Congress and 14 rpt 14 (plus or minus five) seats for the BJP.

Sitaram Yechury Awaits Voters' Verdict

Assam and West Bengal had completed the process earlier. We await the voters' verdict on the 19th.

Take Exit Polls Numbers With a Pinch of Salt

Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is however taking the exit poll number with a pinch of salt.

#ExitPolls Keep it simple#AITCWinning 😊

I don't know what the numbers are but we will wait for 19 May.There has been a negative campaign run against us by the BJP, Congress-Left.There was a media-fixer in Calcutta who tried to do everything to prevent the TMC from winning. 

Derek O'Brien, TMC Leader

TMC's Amit Mitra is also keeping the celebration under wraps, saying:

We shall wait till 19 May but the trends show that Mamata will continue with the government. The voters have realised our mandate for development.

The ABP-Ananda findings have suggested that the TMC has a thin margin of 25 votes. The 19 May result may not necessarily be in Banerjee's favour.

NewsX–Chanakya

Today's Chanakya, along with NewX TV channel has predicted the highest win for Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.

• TMC: 210
  
• Left + Congress: 70
  
• BJP: 14
  
• Others: 0
  

India Today-Axis

Television channel India Today is also predicting a safe win for Mamata Banerjee.

• TMC: 233-253
  
• Left+Congress: 38-51
  
• BJP: 1-5
  
• Others: 2-5
  

C-Voter

The agency, C-Voter is also predicting a safe win for Mamata Banerjee.

• TMC: 167
  
• CPI(M)+ Congress: 120 (75+45)
  
• BJP: 4
  
• Others: 3
  

ABP Ananda

Local news channel ABP Ananda has predicted a win for TMC's Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.

• TMC: 178
  
• Left + Congress: 110
  
• BJP+: 1
  
• Others: 5

The West Bengal Assembly elections were held in six phases. The fight is between the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-Congress Jot or alliance.

The West Bengal Assembly is 294-seat strong with 68 seats reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and 16 received for Scheduled Tribe (ST). A 65,546,101 strong electorate cast their votes in six phases between 4 April and 5 May.

Also read: From Saradha to Narada: The Ugly Underbelly of Bengal Politics

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