Vote Counting Live Updates: Early trends, just two hours after counting began, suggest a strong debut for actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. In the 234-seat Assembly, TVK has surged ahead in around 85 constituencies, emerging as a major contender in its first electoral outing. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance is close behind, leading in approximately 77 seats. Meanwhile, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in alliance with Indian National Congress and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, has slipped to third position in the early race.
In West Bengal, where polling was held for 294 seats, the contest has turned into a high-stakes battle between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Early trends indicate a significant shift, with the BJP crossing the halfway mark and leading in over 160 seats. The TMC, on the other hand, is trailing with leads in around 110 constituencies.
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This election is particularly significant for two key reasons. First, West Bengal has historically resisted the BJP’s expansion, making the current trend a potential political turning point. Second, the polls come amid a heated dispute between Mamata Banerjee and the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The exercise reportedly removed nearly 89 lakh voters—about 11.6 per cent of the electorate—a figure that exceeds the TMC’s victory margin in the 2021 Assembly elections.
As counting progresses, these early trends could reshape the political landscape in both states, especially with a new entrant like TVK making a strong impact and the BJP gaining ground in a traditionally resistant region.
