West Bengal Election Results 2026 | Polling in West Bengal is over, and all eyes are now on the counting day, May 4. Exit polls have projected an advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising the possibility of a power shift in a state ruled by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) since 2011.

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As the state waits for results, here is a look at how the major parties - TMC, BJP, Congress, and Left - performed in the last assembly election in 2021.

In the 2021 Assembly election, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC secured a decisive victory, winning 213 of the state's 294 seats and returning to power for a third straight term.

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The BJP emerged as the principal opposition, winning 77 seats - a sharp rise from its tally of just three seats in 2016. The party also increased its vote share from 10 per cent in 2016 to 38 per cent in 2021.

The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Left Front and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), failed to win a single seat. The Left Front too drew a blank, marking one of its worst performances in Bengal.

The TMC had secured around 48 per cent of the vote share in 2021. Congress and the Left saw their support base shrink further.

The 2026 election is being seen as a direct battle between the ruling TMC and the BJP, with the Congress and Left hoping to regain lost ground in select pockets. 

West Bengal Exit Poll 2026 Projections 

Exit polls for the 2026 West Bengal election have projected a tight contest, though a majority of pollsters have given the BJP an edge over the ruling TMC. 

P-MARQ, Chanakya Strategies, Poll Diary, Praja Poll, and Today's Chanakya have forecast the BJP crossing or nearing the majority mark of 148 seats in the 294-member House. Some of the most bullish projections for the BJP come from Praja Poll (178-208 seats) and Today's Chanakya (192 ±11 seats).

At the same time, not all surveys point to a BJP win. People's Pulse has projected a comfortable lead for the TMC alliance with 177-187 seats, while some agencies such as JVC and People's Insight have indicated a hung assembly or an extremely close race. 

In vote share estimates, Peoples Pulse has placed AITC+ ahead with 47.2% against BJP's 41.5%, while Today's Chanakya has projected BJP at 48% (±3) and AITC+ at 38% (±3). Overall, the exit polls suggest Bengal could be headed for one of its closest elections in recent years.

Published on: May 3, 2026 3:04 PM IST