Kolkata: The ABP-CVoter Exit Polls on Saturday projected a massive decline in both seat tally and vote share for the Trinamool Congress in the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.
As per the Exit Polls, while the BJP is projected to gain the most from the decline in seat tally and vote share for the Trinamool, the Congress-Left Front alliance too is set to gain to a limited extent.
The BJP is projected to win 23-27 seats, up from the 18 it won in 2019, while the Trinamool is expected to end with 13-17 seats, down from 22 in 2019, according to the ABP CVoter Exit Polls.
The Exit Polls also projected 1-3 seats for the Congress-Left Front alliance. In 2019, when the two parties did not have an alliance, the Congress ended with two seats while the Left Front drew a blank.
As per the ABP-CVoter Exit Polls, the BJP is also projected to make gains in vote share, from 40.7 per cent in 2019 to 42.5 per cent this time.
On the other hand, the Trinamool’s vote share is projected to drop to 41.5 per cent from the 43.3 per cent votes it managed in 2019.
The Congress-Left Fron alliance is expected to get 13.2 per cent votes this time, while others, including AISF, SUCI (Communist) and Independents, are projected to win 2.8 per cent votes.
Political observers cite two factors for the BJP’s gains at the cost of Trinamool as projected by the Exit Polls.
First, a consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP against a division in minority votes between the Trinamool, Congress-Left Front, and AISF.
Second, a substantial chunk of floating voters who voted for Trinamool in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 Assembly elections have distanced themselves from the ruling party this time, mainly because of the multiple cases of corruption against its leaders.
(IANS)
