India elections: BJP leading in West Bengal; Congress dominates Kerala; TVK ahead in Tamil Nadu

As counting began for the state assembly elections in India on Monday, early indications are of the BJP leading in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, while TVK are dominating in Tamil Nadu and the Congress alliance at the top in Kerala.

At 11.30am (India time), the BJP was leading in 162 seats in West Bengal, with the TMC trailing behind at 115.

In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF has done well, crossing the halfway mark. It was leading in 93 seats in the 140-seat legislature.

In Tamil Nadu, actor Vijay’s new party, the TVK was leading in 110 seats in the 234-strong legislature, leaving the ruling DMK behind in the third place with just 52 seats.

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The AIADMK-BJP was in second place with leads in 72 seats. Assam saw the BJP leading in 99 seats, with the Congress trailing at just 25. Puducherry saw the BJP leading in 14 of the 30 seats.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the outgoing Kerala chief minister of the Left Democratic Front trailing behind in his constituency. Even M.K. Stalin, the outgoing Tamil Nadu chief minister of the DMK was trailing in his seat.

Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal CM was leading Bhabanipur and her BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari was trailing.

BJP leaders said they were confident of taking power in West Bengal as the results indicate. The BJP was maintaining a comfortable lead well past the halfway mark in the morning itself.

West Bengal has 294 seats and the winning party must have 148 seats. The BJP was already leading in 182 seats and the TMC trailing behind at 103.