West Bengal: Exit Polls Give Mamata Banerjee Led TMC The Edge

Exit polls are split over West Bengal, with TMC getting the edge in the crucial battle for West Bengal.

Times Now - C Voter has given 158 seats to the TMC down from 211 in 2016. The BJP is on the second position with 115 seats. It had won only three in 2016. The Congress and Left combine is expected to win 19 seats.

The CNN News18 poll has given 162 seats for the TMC and 115 seats for the BJP. ETG Research and P-MARQ have also predicted a majority for the TMC.

On the other hand the Republic - CNX exit poll has given BJP the edge by projecting 138 to 148 seats for the party. The TMC is a close second with 128 to 138 seats.

The Jan Ki Baat Exit Poll has gone against the trend and given a big margin to the BJP by projecting 174 seats for the party and 112 seats for TMC.

West Bengal is the most anticipated electoral battle of this year, with the BJP leaving no stones un-turned to dethrone Mamata. The polls were held across eight stages owing to a high tendency of political violence which necessitated such a long polling schedule.

The BJP has emerged as the strongest challenge to the TMC ahead of countdown on Sunday (2 May).

In the run up to the elections, the TMC saw high profile exits from the party like potential Chief Ministerial candidate Suvendu Adhikary who went and joined the BJP.

Many of the leaders cited their disapproval against Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee as one of the reasons for their exit.

Adhikary is locked in a direct fight with Mamata in Nandigram which has been a family bastion for the former which helped propel Mamata as a key challenger to the three decade long left-front rule.