Asansol (West Bengal) [India], May 4 : As West Bengal gears up for a vote count following a high octane two phase election campaign, Bharatiya Janata Party's Asansol Dakshin candidate Agnimitra Paul on Monday said that the people of the state have called for a 'tsunami' by registering a historic voter turnout.
West Bengal witnessed a historic 92.9 per cent voter turnout, with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) cleaning up the voter list in the state. Across two phases of polling, multiple constituencies have registered a high turnout above 90 per cent.
Paul, being one of the candidates, has also gone to the counting centre ahead of the vote count.
"Tsunami will come today, not just a wave. The people of Bengal have called for a tsunami by voting over 92 per cent. In front of this, every leader will be swept away, no matter how big or influential," Paul told ANI.
Paul is contesting against Congress' Souvik Mukherjee, and TMC's Tapas Banerjee.
Meanwhile, heavy security have been deployed in West Bengal as counting commences at 8 AM.
West Bengal is one of the four states, along with Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Assam, and the union territory of Puducherry which will have its results declared today.
In West Bengal, arguably the most fiercely contested battleground, the atmosphere remained charged till the final hours. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari struck a spiritual note ahead of counting, saying, "I offered prayers at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. God is with us. A government that protects the interests of Sanatan Dharma is coming."
The BJP has projected confidence in unseating the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), with several leaders claiming that a wave of change is imminent.
On the other side, the TMC has doubled down on its assertion that Mamata Banerjee is headed for a comfortable return. Party leader Kunal Ghosh claimed, "Mamata Banerjee is coming back with more than 200 seats," even as he flagged logistical concerns over arrangements for counting agents, alleging that basic necessities like food and water were not being provided.
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