No victory rallies after results in West Bengal: EC official Subrata Gupta as counting underway

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta on Monday said no victory rallies will be allowed anywhere in West Bengal as counting for the Assembly elections got underway. The comment was made after the poll panel received various complaints that agents of different parties were unable to reach the counting centres. Security personnel outside a vote counting centre during the West Bengal Assembly election results day, in Kolkata, Monday, May 4 (PTI)"No rallies celebrating wins of candidates following the announcement of results will be allowed anywhere in the state today," Gupta told reporters. "We are looking into the issue of agents being unable to reach their centres. It will be resolved soon," he added. According to early trends from the West Bengal Assembly elections, as updated on the official website of the Election Commission of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in 48 assembly constituencies, while the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is ahead in 28 constituencies. The Assembly elections were held on April 23 and 29 in West Bengal to elect all 294 members of the state assembly. Phase 1 of the election took place on April 23, when 152 constituencies voted (mostly in North Bengal and parts of the south). Phase 2 took place on April 29, with 142 constituencies voting (the remaining parts of South Bengal, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly). The 2026 election witnessed a record 92.93 per cent turnout — the highest ever in the state, with the previous best recorded in 2011. Phase 1 saw a 93.13 per cent turnout, while Phase 2 recorded 91.57 per cent. Current chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is looking to secure a historic fourth straight term in power. The party first came to power in 2011 and remained dominant through the 2016 and 2021 elections. Its main challenger is the BJP, with Suvendu Adhikari as its face. Adhikari previously represented the TMC, switched sides before the 2021 elections, and defeated Mamata in Nandigram.