Initial counting trends across states show a tight contest in Bengal, early advantage for DMK in Tamil Nadu, and scattered tensions reported at counting centres amid heavy security.
Election officials verify documents and EVM units during the counting process at a secured polling centre on Monday.
As the first numbers trickled in from the West Bengal Assembly vote count, it quickly became clear this isn’t going to be a one-sided contest. The BJP and the Trinamool Congress are locked in a tight race, moving almost in step in the early leads.
Barely an hour into counting, the mood is already tense.
There’s no official word from the Election Commission yet, but the initial trends are enough to signal a long, closely fought day ahead. Postal ballot figures and early EVM trends suggest no clear advantage in Bengal, while other states show early patterns taking shape.
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At around 9 am, both the BJP and the TMC were hovering near 112 leads each in West Bengal, indicating a tight race. The trends come after the counting of Electronic Voting Machines began at 8:30 am.
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Across states, initial numbers present a mixed picture. In Assam, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) appeared ahead in about 25 seats based on postal ballots, while the Congress-led alliance was leading in seven.
In Kerala, it’s turning into a real cliffhanger, with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) locked in a close fight, both crossing the 50-mark in early leads.
In Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has taken an early edge, leading in around 55 seats, compared to roughly 25 for the AIADMK-led alliance.
Amid the tight contest in Bengal, allegations of irregularities and heated exchanges have already surfaced at counting centres.
BJP candidate Arjun Singh from Noapara claimed he and his election agent were not allowed entry even as announcements were made about opening the strong room.
“Till now, the candidate or the election agent has not reached the counting centre, and they are making announcements that they are opening the strong room. This is an attempt to commit fraud. We will complain right now, we are going to the observer,” he told ANI.
Tensions were also visible between polling agents of both parties. A TMC polling agent alleged discrimination, claiming BJP representatives were allowed to carry materials inside while TMC agents were restricted.
“They are not allowing us to take files or pens inside, but the BJP polling agents are allowed to take them inside. Rules should be the same for everyone. We are the people of Mamata Banerjee. There is no bigger identity than this,” the agent said.
BJP agents, however, countered the claims, accusing TMC workers of not carrying valid identification.
“They are not carrying their ID cards. We are wearing our ID cards. They are creating a ruckus unnecessarily. BJP is winning with a majority in West Bengal and even in Bhabanipur,” a BJP polling agent said.
Security arrangements remain tight across states as counting progresses. In West Bengal’s Malda, armoured vehicles were deployed for patrolling from early morning.
Strong rooms were opened across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry ahead of the counting process.
In Tamil Nadu, a three-layer security system has been put in place at counting centres. At Loyola College in Chennai, which is handling a large share of EVMs for nearly 4.8 crore votes, multiple security personnel were stationed with barricades and vehicle checks in place.
Queen Mary’s College and Anna University are among other major counting centres in the state.
With official trends still awaited, the early numbers and ground reports indicate a day of close contests, political tension and high stakes across states.
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