Madan Mitra, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Kamarhati Assembly Constituency, dismissed exit polls projecting a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory in the West Bengal assembly elections.
Speaking on April 29, Mitra asserted that the BJP would be reduced by half in 2026 and wiped out in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing the accuracy of exit polls, he described them as "useless" and recalled a local joke: "What exit polls say turns out to be wrong. There used to be a joke in Bengal that when the weather office report said it would rain, it would be a hot day. They say the complete opposite. We are out on the roads… [The opposition will be] half in '26 and wiped out in '29. Exactly. Bengal has never won such a great victory. Everyone will win. Exit polls are useless," Mitra stated.
These remarks followed multiple exit poll projections released after the conclusion of polling on the evening of April 29. According to Chanakya Strategies, the BJP was favoured to win 150 to 160 seats, with the TMC securing 130 to 140 seats out of 294 total Assembly seats. Other parties were forecast to win between six and 10 seats.
Similarly, Matrize projected the BJP winning 146 to 161 seats and the TMC 125 to 140 seats, with other parties expected to claim six to 10 seats. Poll Diary projected BJP seats between 142 and 171, the TMC between 99 and 127, and other parties five to nine seats.
Voter turnout during the second phase of polling reached 91.62%, with Purba Bardhaman district recording the highest at 93.48%, followed by South 24 Parganas (91.73%), North 24 Parganas (91.70%), Hooghly (91.50%), Nadia (91.45%), and Howrah (91.17%).
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar praised the participation, stating: "Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal in both Phase I & II since Independence - Chunav ka Parv, Paschim Bengal ka Garv." The first phase, held on April 23, saw a 91.78% turnout.
The main contest in West Bengal is between the ruling TMC and the BJP. The second phase of polling, viewed as a crucial test for the TMC, covered 142 of 294 seats, primarily in the party's traditional strongholds in South Bengal and Kolkata.
Over 22.2 million voters, including 16,435,627 men and 15,737,418 women, were eligible to vote. Key contests included Bhabanipur and Tollyganj. In 2021, the TMC won 123 of these 142 seats. The BJP aims to gain support among urban "bhadralok" voters and the Matua community, while the TMC seeks to maintain its position for a fourth consecutive term for Mamata Banerjee.
Vote counting will take place on May 4.