Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 25 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday expressed strong confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) electoral performance, claiming that the party has already secured significant momentum after the first phase of elections.
He asserted that the BJP is on track to achieve major victories in both Assam and West Bengal, stating that public sentiment has shifted in favour of the party after the initial phase of polling.
Addressing a press conference, Sarma said, "The first phase of elections has been completed. I can say with complete confidence that in the first phase itself, the BJP has won 110 seats. This time, we will win 100 seats in Assam. We will get 200 seats in West Bengal. We will reach a century in Assam, and we will reach a double century in West Bengal."
He further said the political atmosphere in West Bengal had changed significantly in favour of the BJP after the initial phase of polling.
"I can confidently say that the tsunami that has come if it goes above 200 (BJP seats in West Bengal), it will not be a matter of surprise. I have attended every election in West Bengal in 2016 and 2019, but this time, the public's attitude towards the BJP is something that we have never seen before," he added.
Sarma added that voters who were earlier uncertain were now openly backing the party.
"People have now started openly supporting the BJP. Those who were initially going to vote had a slight uncertainty in their mind. After the first phase of elections, there has been a change in the atmosphere here. People now strongly believe that BJP is going to win in West Bengal," he said.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday stated that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu recorded the highest-ever voter turnout since Independence as polling concluded at 6 pm.
"Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence - ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.
Polling for the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 91.91 per cent in Phase I polling, according to the latest data by the Election Commission of India.
The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.
Several districts in West Bengal recorded over 90 per cent voter turnout. Dakshin Dinajpur led with 94.85%, followed by Cooch Behar at 94.54%, Birbhum at 93.70%, Jalpaiguri at 93.23%, and Murshidabad at 92.93%. The figures reflect consistently high voter participation across the state, with all major districts comfortably staying above the 90% mark.
Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began amid tight security this morning. Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.
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