West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rejected exit poll predictions for the state on Thursday, affirming that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will form a “government of Maa, Maati, Manush.” Her remarks followed the release of multiple exit polls indicating a close contest between the ruling TMC and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Polling in both phases concluded with a record voter turnout exceeding 90%, conducted on April 23 and April 29 across all 294 assembly seats. In a video message posted on X, Banerjee expressed confidence in her government, asserting that the TMC would win over 226 seats, surpassing its previous tally of 215.
Preliminary statements from the BJP also suggested confidence in their potential victory in West Bengal, with Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra proclaiming that the party is on track for a historic win. He mentioned the BJP’s strong position under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and National President Nitin Naveen, attributing their prospects to the efforts of party workers across the country.
Exit polls for the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, published Wednesday, indicated a sharply divided verdict. While several surveys suggested that the BJP held an edge, one pointed to a potential strong victory for the TMC. The aggregate findings of the polls suggested a near tie, projecting approximately 145 seats each for the BJP and the TMC within the 294-member assembly, with projections for other parties placed at around four seats.
Individual surveys leaned predominantly toward the BJP. Chanakya Strategies projected the BJP will secure between 150 to 160 seats, while the TMC is forecasted to gain between 130 and 140. Matrize’s predictions allocated 146 to 161 seats to the BJP and 125 to 140 to the TMC. P-MARQ offered a wider margin, estimating the BJP could win from 150 to 175 seats and the TMC from 118 to 138. JVC indicated a closer race, placing the BJP ahead with estimates of 138 to 159 seats versus the TMC’s 131 to 152.
Conversely, People’s Pulse emerged as an outlier, forecasting a decisive lead for the TMC with estimates of 178 to 187 seats, compared to the BJP’s 95 to 110 seats. Other parties were projected to secure only a few seats across most surveys.
