PM Modi Vs Mamata Banerjee Highlights: Did Kolkata favour Didi or Suvendu? BJP leading in early trends

In view of the counting process of the General Election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, which is expected to continue throughout the day to complete the entire process of counting, and in order to maintain public order, peace, and tranquility within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police, it is hereby notified that no victory procession, rally, or public celebration in connection with election results shall be carried out on 4th May, 2026 This restriction shall apply uniformly to all political parties or groups without exception: Kolkata Police

Victory processions, if any, may be conducted on 5th May, 2026 or thereafter, only after obtaining prior permission from the Officer-in-Charge of the concerned Police Station. All such permitted processions shall strictly adhere to the prevailing rules and guidelines and the conditions imposed in the permission: Kolkata Police

On the counting of votes, Siliguri Commissioner of Police (CP) Syed Waqar Raza told news agency ANI, “Everything will be done peacefully. All arrangements are in place. Frisking is being carried out, and a three-tier security system has been implemented. We hope everything goes smoothly.”

Counting of votes has begun for 293 of the total 294 seats in Bengal, as repolling will be held in Falta on May 21.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra has alleged a CCTV blackout inside strong rooms on counting day, claiming that surveillance cameras in four strong rooms were switched off for 2 minutes and 16 seconds. She raised the issue with the Election Commission, asserting that the party is “up and awake.”

Reports of discord emerged from Kolkata even before the counting of EVMs begun, with a verbal argument breaking out between counting agents of the TMC and BJP outside the counting centre at Sakhawat Memorial School in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

Counting of votes for 293 Assembly constituencies in the state will begin at 8 am today.

A TMC worker alleged that their agents were being stopped from carrying files and pens inside the counting centre, while BJP agents were allegedly allowed to do so. Calling for uniform rules, the worker said, “We are the people of Mamata Banerjee. There is no bigger identity than this.”

Heavy security deployed outside the counting centre at Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls' High School in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

TMC candidate and CM Mamata Banerjee is contesting against BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency.

Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged Trinamool Congress workers to remain vigilant through the night ahead of vote counting, alleging phased power outages and CCTV disruptions near strong rooms across Hooghly, Nadia, Burdwan and parts of Kolkata.

Posting on X, Banerjee said: "Be vigilant. Keep watch. Stay awake at night. File complaints. I'm receiving reports from various places that load-shedding is being deliberately imposed. From Hooghly's Serampore, Nadia's Krishnanagar, to Burdwan's Ausgram, and Kolkata's Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, such incidents have come to light where load-shedding is being done in phases, CCTV is being turned off, and vehicles are moving in and out of strong rooms."

For those looking to track the numbers in real-time, the official ECI Results Portal is the primary source for candidate-wise leads and margins.

To navigate the site, simply select “General Election to State Legislative Assembly” and filter by your specific state. Voters can also use the Voter Helpline App (available on iOS and Android) for a faster, mobile-friendly experience.

Counting begins with postal ballots at 8:00 AM, followed by EVM counting at 8:30 AM. Early trends across major constituencies are expected to emerge between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM, with the Election Commission of India expected to declare official results from 5:00 PM onwards.

The 2021 West Bengal Assembly election returned the Trinamool Congress to power with a decisive third consecutive term, winning 213 seats against the BJP's 77. The Congress and Left Front were wiped out entirely, failing to win a single seat.

The election's defining moment came in Nandigram, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari by 1,956 votes, making the constituency the symbolic centre of the entire contest. Despite the BJP raising its vote share to around 38 to 39 per cent, the surge did not translate into enough seats to threaten TMC's dominance.

Mamata Banerjee alleged in the early hours of Monday that "deliberate load-shedding" was being carried out near strong rooms storing polled votes across parts of the state, with CCTV cameras allegedly switched off and suspicious vehicle movement reported outside premises in Hooghly, Nadia, Burdwan and Kolkata.

Posting on X, Banerjee called on Trinamool Congress workers to "keep watch" through the night and file complaints if any suspicious activity was noticed. She alleged the actions were being carried out "at the behest of the BJP."

West Bengal recorded its highest voter turnout since independence, reaching a historic 91.66 per cent during Phase II of the elections. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), poll participation in West Bengal (Phase-II) stood at 91.66 per cent till 7:45 PM.

In phase I of the elections on April 23, the poll participation was 93.19 per cent, resulting in a staggering combined poll percentage over the two phases at 92.47 per cent."The combined poll percentage over the two phases stands at 92.47%. Previously, the highest poll-participation in WB was 84.72% (2011 GELA), " a release from the ECI said.

The polling day also witnessed high political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the deployment of security forces in the state.

The West Bengal Assembly Elections are set to be declared on Monday, May 4. The early result trends will start coming in by 9:30 am.

The TMC and the BJP are in a tight contest this year as many exit polls gave a lead to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.