TMC Forecasts Improved Performance Over 2019: Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress’ candidate for the Diamond Harbour seat in West Bengal and TMC General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, cast his vote in the final phase and expressed confidence in the party’s improved performance compared to the 2019 elections.

Banerjee exercised his franchise at Mitra Institution on Harish Mukherjee Road in Bengal. He criticized the stifling of democracy in Banaras, highlighting instances of candidate nominations being canceled and restricted access to returning officer offices. Banerjee reiterated his pre-election stance, asserting Trinamool’s anticipated gains in seat and vote shares.

He claimed that out of the 35 seats already concluded in Bengal, Trinamool has likely secured 22. Banerjee attributed the public’s discontent with the current administration’s policies and promised a fitting response through the election results. Contesting against CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das, Banerjee aims to improve upon his 2019 victory margin of about 2.4 lakh votes. Voting commenced at 7 am in West Bengal’s nine constituencies, including Barasat, Basirhat, Diamond Harbour, Dum Dum, Jaynagar, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, and Mathurapur.

Following the close of voting on June 1, exit poll results will be broadcasted. The Election Commission has imposed a ban on exit polls from April 19 to June 1. The Lok Sabha elections’ preceding six phases were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 25, with simultaneous assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Odisha has seen parallel elections for both Lok Sabha and assembly in the last four phases.