NEW DELHI: Counting of votes will be held on Sunday (May 2, 2021) for the high-stakes assembly elections held recently in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, overshadowed by the raging COVID-19 pandemic, as the BJP seeks to consolidate its hold over more states and the Congress along with its allies attempts to regain turf.


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The counting of votes will begin at 8 AM and continue late into the night. As many as 1,100 counting observers will watch the process and candidates and agents will have to produce a negative COVID test report or double dose of vaccination certificate to get an entry.


There will be 2,364 counting halls as compared to 1,002 halls in 2016 in 822 assembly constituencies in view of the coronavirus guidelines, according to the Election Commission which had drawn flak from the courts over the conduct of polls during the pandemic.


Despite the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the voter turn out was recorded in a good number in all the places. The trends and results will be available from 8 AM on May at https://results.eci.gov.in. 


West Bengal: It's Mamata Banerjee Vs Modi Magic 


After eight-phased Assembly polls in West Bengal, while Mamata Banerjee`s Trinamool Congress (TMC) is seeking to seize power for the third consecutive term, the BJP is making claims of winning 200 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. The power-packed campaigns by the main contenders - the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), involved rallies with large participations and mega roadshows. The third front - the coalition of the Congress, Left Front and Indian Secular Force - seemed to be on the back foot when it came to campaigning. The ambitious BJP did intense campaigning with the goal to topple the incumbent TMC government in the state.


The exit polls suggest that there is going to be a very close fight for the throne in West Bengal. While Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is looking for her third tenure, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident that it will form its maiden government in the state. The Zee News Maha Exit Poll predicts that BJP will win on over 144 seats and TMC will take 132 seats. Congress+ will take 15 and one seat to the other contenders.


Apart from the Axis My India-India Today and the Republic-CNX exit polls, which gave the saffron party an edge in the battleground state, all other surveys, including the CVoter Exit Poll for Times Now/ABP News, forecast the third victory for TMC, putting it ahead in the 294-member Assembly.


Will Lotus bloom in Assam again? 


In the northeastern state of Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks ahead in the exit polls and the lotus is likely to bloom for the second consecutive time. All major pollsters have predicted a majority for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 126-member Assembly. 


As per the Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the BJP+ will take 73 seats, whereas Congress+ will win on 51 assembly constituencies. Others will bag two seats.


Will there be a change of guard in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry? 


The DMK-Congress alliance looks in a comfortable position to cross the halfway mark of 118 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. As per the Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the DMK+ is likely to dethrone AIADMK+ by winning 173 seats. The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK+ may win over 57 seats, while others will take four seats.


In Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan's Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to retain the power. According to Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the LDF will win on 91 seats and the United Democratic Front (UDF) will take 47 seats, whereas others will bag two seats.


Puducherry is likely to have a government headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Zee News Maha Exit Poll has predicted 19 seats for BJP+ in the 30-seat Assembly. Congress+ will take 10, while one seat may go to one of the other contenders. 


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