Women in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, gathered to offer special prayers on Monday, seeking victory for the BJP in West Bengal. They performed rituals like Ganga Aarti, Shankhnaad, and Surya Upasana, expressing their hopes for a political change in the state.
Several women shared their expectations and aspirations, emphasizing their desire for the BJP to come to power in West Bengal. They expressed that such a change would benefit students and alleviate their current hardships. The women prayed for the BJP to win with a significant majority and performed the rituals with utmost devotion.
The counting of votes from the two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal commenced at 8 a.m., with the initial focus on counting postal ballots. The Election Commission of India (ECI) introduced changes in the counting process this time, starting with the exclusive counting of postal ballots for the first 30 minutes before proceeding to count both postal ballots and EVM votes simultaneously.
By implementing this revised counting process, election officials aim to ensure a clear trend in the election results by noon. The ongoing counting in West Bengal covers 293 of the 294 Assembly constituencies, with repolling scheduled for the entire Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district on May 21, and results to be announced on May 24.
The electoral battle in West Bengal primarily involves the ruling Trinamool Congress and the principal opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the previous elections, Trinamool Congress secured 216 seats, followed by the BJP at 77 and All India Secular Front (AISF) at one. The Congress and CPI(M)-led Left Front, despite contesting together, failed to win any seats. This time, their challenge lies in re-establishing their presence in the state Assembly.
The recent two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal witnessed a record turnout of nearly 93 percent on April 23 and April 29. Most exit polls predict the end of the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule and a potential shift to BJP governance in West Bengal.
