West Bengal assembly election: Opinion poll predicts TMC lead, BJP close behind
Voting to take place in two phases on 23 and 29 April; vote counting scheduled for 4 May
An opinion poll conducted by Matrize-IANS has predicted a close contest in India's West Bengal, with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) projected to maintain an advantage over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance in the 294-seat Assembly election.
According to the survey, the ruling TMC is expected to secure a clear lead in both vote share and the number of seats, though the BJP is likely to remain a formidable challenger throughout the contest, reports ABP News.
Polling in West Bengal will take place in two phases. The first phase is scheduled for 23 April and will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase will be held on 29 April in the remaining 142 constituencies.
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Vote counting is scheduled for 4 May, when results for the Assembly elections in West Bengal and four other regions will be announced.
The opinion poll projects that the Trinamool Congress could secure between 155 and 170 seats in the 294-member Assembly. The BJP-led alliance is expected to win between 100 and 115 seats, while other parties and independent candidates may secure around five to seven seats.
In terms of vote share, the survey suggests the TMC may obtain between 43% and 45% of the total votes. The BJP-led alliance is projected to receive around 41% to 43%, while other parties could account for roughly 13% to 15% of the vote.
Despite the TMC's apparent edge, the projections indicate that the election remains highly competitive. The BJP continues to maintain a strong presence across several constituencies, making the contest closer than in previous elections in some areas.
In the previous Assembly election held in 2021, the TMC won 213 of the 294 seats, while the BJP secured 77 seats, a major rise from the three seats it won in the 2016 Assembly election.
