Lok Sabha Results: Prashant Kishor’s prediction goes horribly wrong; BJP far from ’No. 1’ in Bengal amid TMC strong run

All eyes are on the Lok Sabha Elections Results 2024, set to be declared by Tuesday evening. The Election Commission's trend shows a close contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition's INDIA bloc. By 4 pm on Tuesday, the BJP won eight seats and led in 234 seats. The Congress, meanwhile, won four seats and was leading in 95 Lok Sabha seats.

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Against the backdrop of the vote counting for the Lok Sabha polls, the official election trends and results show how they contradict most of the exit polls and political strategists' predictions. One such prediction was made by political strategist and commentator Prashant Kishor last month in an interview with news agency PTI.

Kishor had claimed that the BJP, "in all likelihood", would emerge as the "No.1" party in West Bengal. "They could very well be No.1 in Bengal...many of you will be surprised, but in all likelihood, to my mind...BJP is going to emerge as No. 1 party in West Bengal in Lok Sabha," Kishor had told news agency PTI.

However…

The trends released by the Election Commission show Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) leading in 29 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP was seen leading in 12 seats and the Congress in one seat around 4:30 pm. The TMC and the Congress are part of the Opposition's INDIA bloc, but decided to contest the Lok Sabha Polls separately in West Bengal. 

ALSO READ: Exit polls 2024: BJP may beat TMC in West Bengal, pollsters predict 16 Lok Sabha seats for Mamata Banerjee's party

There are 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, the BJP won 18 seats, while the TMC secured 22.

If the trends prove right, it will be a shock for Prashant Kishor and many other poll pundits who had predicted a huge win for the BJP in West Bengal.

ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Election Results: An exit polls recap of BJP-NDA Vs INDIA in North, South, East, West — Who may win?

Today's Chanakya predicted 24 ± 5 seats for the BJP in TMC-ruled Bengal. It said Mamata Banerjee's TMC could win 17 ± 5 seats. There are 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The TMC has won majority seats in the past Lok Sabha polls.

Well, the final official results will confirm whether the exit/opinion poll was right or wrong. The Lok Sabha Elections results will be declared by Tuesday night.