BJP Confident of Growth in Kerala, Mega Win in Bengal: Poonawalla

The counting of votes is underway for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry, and final results are expected by the end of the day as trends emerge through multiple counting rounds.

Speaking to IANS, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "The results of today's elections will be announced soon. I can say that it will be a 'GRWM' moment, there's a term on Instagram called GRWM (Get Ready With Me). In Kerala, the BJP will see growth. In Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, we will make a strong return. In Assam, we will come back in a very big way. And in West Bengal, with 'M' there will be a mega win for us, where a new history will be created."

He also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for levelling allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the central security forces and called it her "pre-poll Bahana".

"I would call this a 'pre-poll Bahana' (PPB). Rahul Gandhi does the same when he feels he is going to lose an election... Mamata Banerjee has also started giving such excuses because she knows what the results will be. Sometimes she blames the ECI, sometimes the CAPF here, sometimes she creates drama over the strong room. Till 1 p.m., she will continue to do this," Poonawalla said.

"She is going into denial, and then she will protest, but at last she will have to accept that the BJP is winning the elections," the BJP spokesperson added.

In West Bengal, the excitement reached an all-time high with a record-breaking 92.93 per cent of voters showing up to the polls. However, on Monday, there is counting underway for only 293 of 294 Assembly constituencies in the state, since the Election Commission of India (ECI), on Saturday, had announced re-polling for the entire Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district on May 21, the results for which will be declared on May 24.

In the Northeast, Assam presents a picture of consolidation. The BJP-led NDA, steered by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, appears positioned to score a hat-trick. Exit polls projected the NDA securing between 85 and 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

Further South, Tamil Nadu has delivered its own record-breaking performance with an 85.1 per cent turnout. The traditionally bipolar contest between the DMK and AIADMK has been disrupted by the entry of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Kerala, meanwhile, is testing the limits of incumbency. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), under Pinarayi Vijayan, is attempting a historic third consecutive term, a feat never achieved in the state's modern history. However, the data points to a tight squeeze, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) projected to hover around the 72-seat mark in the 140-member House.

- IANS