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Bengal polls: Mamata rejects exit poll projections, claims decisive TMC return to power

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 30 Apr 2026, 07:58 am

Kolkata/IBNS: A day after several exit polls projected an advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released a video message asserting that her party remains firmly on course to form the next government.

Banerjee said the projections were aimed at weakening the morale of her party workers and maintained that the TMC would return to power with a decisive mandate.

According to most exit poll surveys, four out of six pollsters have indicated a narrow edge for the BJP, while two have projected a clear victory for the TMC.

The majority mark in the 294-member Assembly stands at 148 seats.

Rejecting these estimates, Banerjee claimed that the TMC would secure more than 226 seats.

She also urged party workers to remain vigilant and said she would personally ensure the safety of electronic voting machines (EVMs) if required.

In her address, Banerjee alleged that the Centre had deployed its resources to intimidate TMC workers and undermine their confidence during the election process.

She further stated that the exit poll figures were fabricated and intended to influence perceptions.

The TMC leader also claimed that the projections originated from political quarters, reiterating her party’s confidence in a favourable outcome.

The 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal witnessed an intense contest primarily between the TMC and the BJP, while the Congress-Left alliance attempted to regain political ground in select regions.

Campaign narratives centred on women voters, regional identity, the Matua community, and concerns about voter list revisions conducted under the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

In the previous Assembly elections held in 2021, exit polls had predicted a closely contested race between the TMC and the BJP.

However, the final results diverged significantly from those projections.

The TMC secured a landslide victory with 215 seats, while the BJP won 77 seats, emerging as the main opposition party in the state Assembly for the first time.