Guwahati: Mamata Banerjee is likely to return as the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term with the TMC leading in over 200 seats, while the BJP’s lead has slipped to 88 seats, as per early trends.
However, the Chief Minister herself is trailing in Nandigram by over 3,000 votes. Banerjee is contesting against the BJP’s Suvendhu Adhikari, her ex-aide, whose December defection triggered a flood of exits from the Trinamool Congress.
Counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections began at 8 am on Sunday amid strict health protocols, as it is taking place amid a raging second wave of COVID-19.
The battle between Adhikari and incumbent CM Mamata Banerjee in the Nandigram seat will be one of the contests to watch out for. A decade ago, the protest against land acquisition in Nandigram was one of the key issues that had catapulted Banerjee to power in the state.
