Mamata Banerjee likely to retain Bengal crown for third time in a row
- May 02, 2021,
- Updated May 02, 2021, 12:48 AM IST
GUWAHATI: According to early trends, Mamata Banerjee is likely to return as chief minister for the third consecutive term in a raw, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leading by more than 200 seats and the BJP trailing by 88.
In the Nandigram constituency, however, the chief minister herself is trailing by over 3,000 votes.
Banerjee is up against Suvendhu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ex-aide whose defection from the Trinamool Congress joined the BJP ahead of the Bengal elections challenging Banerjee’s regime.
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The counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections started at 8 am this morning, despite strict health precautions due to the outbreak of COVID-19's second wave.
The contest for the Nandigram seat between Adhikari and incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be one to watch. One of the main issues that catapulted Banerjee to power in the state a decade ago was a protest against land acquisition in Nandigram.