Kolkata, May 4: BJP leader Agnimitra Paul won from the Asansol Dakshin Assembly constituency, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Monday, as the counting for other seats in West Bengal is underway, with the BJP maintaining a significant lead over the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Agnimitra Paul got 1,19,582 votes and defeated Trinamool Congress’ Tapas Banerjee with a margin of over 40,800.

Apart from Agnimitra Paul, Darjeeling candidate Noman Rai, Kalimpong candidate Bharat Kumar Chetri, Medinipur candidate Sankar Kumar Guchhait, Monteswar’s Saikat Panja, and Bhatar’s Karfa Soumen were among the early winners from the BJP.

Meanwhile, after winning six seats, the BJP was leading in 192 seats, while the Trinamool Congress was ahead in 88. Trinamool’s Reyat Hossain Sarkar won in the Bhagawangola Assembly seat, according to the ECI trends as of 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the Bengali snack ‘jhalmuri’ into the national spotlight, the BJP is now using the same as a symbol of celebration, as early trends in the Assembly elections show the party surging ahead.

‘Jhalmuri’ had emerged as an unlikely highlight during the final phase of campaigning after PM Modi’s widely shared roadside stop in Jhargram, where he was seen enjoying the snack. The moment quickly went viral, drawing political reactions, including criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who termed it a staged act by the BJP.

The snack, whose name derives from the Bengali word “jhal”, meaning spicy or hot, soon became a metaphor in the campaign, symbolising both the intensity of the political contest and regional identity. Later, during an election rally, PM Modi himself had added a political twist, remarking, “I ate jhalmuri, but TMC felt the jhal (spice).”

With the party holding a strong edge, leaders and workers embraced the ‘jhal’ symbolism, celebrating with the snack across different parts of the country.

Kolkata: Early counting trends in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections suggest that the Trinamool Congress is no longer holding the same level of dominance in Muslim-majority constituencies as it did in previous elections. Of the 293 seats, as many as 43 constituencies with more than 50 percent Muslim population are reflecting a changed electoral mood.

According to initial figures, the TMC and its allies are leading in 30 of these seats, a drop of 12 compared to earlier performance. The Bharatiya Janata Party is ahead in nine such constituencies, while other parties account for four seats, marking a marginal rise.

The current trend marks a sharp departure from the 2021 Assembly elections, when the TMC swept 43 out of 44 Muslim-dominated seats with a vote share of nearly 58 percent. The BJP had failed to win any of these constituencies then, despite securing over 21 percent of the vote share. The Left and other parties had remained limited in influence.

The ongoing trends now suggest a fragmentation of votes in these constituencies, indicating that earlier consolidated support may be witnessing internal shifts.

Reacting to the early trends, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said there has been consolidation among Hindu voters, while Muslim votes appear more divided this time. He claimed that the BJP has also made inroads in certain booths where it had previously struggled.

Adhikari further stated that after initial rounds of counting, the BJP was gaining momentum in several constituencies. He expressed confidence in the party forming the government, crediting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking about Bhabanipur, Adhikari said that early rounds showed a deficit in areas with higher minority populations, but later rounds shifted in his favour. He also claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was trailing, though official confirmation is awaited.

With counting still underway, political observers urge caution. However, the early trends underline a significant shift in West Bengal’s electoral landscape, where voter behaviour appears more varied than in previous elections.

Kolkata, May 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on track to secure an absolute majority as the counting continues, according to the latest trends for 293 Assembly constituencies provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

According to the ECI data, the BJP candidates were leading in 193 Assembly constituencies, followed by Trinamool Congress at 94, the Left Front- All India Secular Front (AISF) alliance in three and others in two seats.

The total number of Assembly constituencies in West Bengal is 294, and hence the magic figure to form the government is 148. The Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district will be going for repolls on May 21, and the results will be declared on May 24.

Former Trinamool Congress legislator and the founder of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), Humayun Kabir, is leading from Rejinagar Assembly constituency in minority- dominated Murshidabad.

As per the trend after the first five hours, the BJP had swept almost all the districts in North Bengal, along with tribal dominated districts like West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and the coastal district of East Midnapore, industrial-cum-coal mining belt district of West Burdwan and Nadia.

On the other hand, Trinamool Congress has maintained its supremacy in South 24 Parganas and Howrah to a great extent, and Hooghly to some extent. In the state capital of Kolkata, the contest between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress is neck-and-neck.

As per the latest trend, a total of 23 members of the last Mamata Banerjee-led cabinet are trailing now. However, in Bhabanipur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is ahead of the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

Adhikari is, however, leading in his native Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, where he is contesting simultaneously this time, along with Bhabanipur.

As the counting proceeded, there have been reports of stray violence from certain pockets in the state, with the epicentres of violence being mainly at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district and Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district. However, the central forces present at both places were prompt enough to bring the situation under control quickly without allowing it to escalate further.