n what is seen as a major game-changer in Indian politics, the BJP on Thursday marched ahead in as many as 17 parliamentary seats in West Bengal where it emerged as a key opponent of Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress.
The saffron party established comfortable leads in Asansol and Darjeeling — the two seats it won in 2014 and also 15 others while Ms Banerjee ‘s charisma could help her party in 24 out of the total 42 seats.
In Baharampur, the sitting Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was leading against Trinamool rival.
The BJP nominees were ahead in Bardhaman-Durgapur, Bankura, Bishnupur and Bangaon among others while Trinamool Congress seemed to have retained its hold in Barrackpore and other traditional seats.
In Jangipur, former president Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee of the Congress was trailing at number three.
The fierce contest between BJP and Trinamool Congress resulted in decimation of Communists, who ruled the state for 34 years between 1977 and 2011.
The elections in Bengal saw Ms Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi trading charges over issues like communalism, lawlessness and minority appeasement.
The polls this year in the state would also be remembered for a series of group clashes and poll related violence including stone throwing on candidates.
In Asansol, Union Minister Babul Supriyo was ahead of Moon Moon sen while another Union Minister S S Ahluwalia established a lead of one lakh over sitting Trinamool candidate Mamata Sanghamita.
The possible winners in the state would also include names of Saumitra Khan from Bishnupur, John Barla from Alipurduars, Shantanu Thakur in Bangaon, Subhas Sarkar in Bankura, Arjun Singh in Barrackpore and Raju Bista from Darjeeling.
Among the Trinamool candidates, Abhishek Banerjee (Chief Minister’s nephew), Saugata Roy, Satabdi Roy, actress Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Deepak Adhikari, Prasun Banerjee, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Mimi Chakraborty established comfortab
BJP storms into Mamata bastion, leads in 17 seats
