Trinamool Congress surges ahead in initial rounds of counting in WB

Kolkata, May 19: Ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday surged ahead in 83 constituencies, whereas Congress-Left Front combine was ahead in 26 seats and BJP in two constituencies of West Bengal, according to initial trends available.

GJM is leading in Darjeeling and Kalimpong seats. Prominent candidates of TMC who are ahead are Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee from Baruipur Paschim Assembly segment by 4,378 votes, whereas state Finance Minister Amit Mitra is ahead in Khardaha seat by 589 votes.

State Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja is leading in Shyampukur seat by 4,667 seats, TMC candidate and former cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla is ahead in Howrah Uttar seat by a margin of 1,266 votes, state food supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick is leading by 3,164 votes from Habra seat.

Former state BJP president and national secretary Rahul Sinha is leading from Jorasakho constituency by 1,839 votes where the collapse of a flyover on March 31 had killed several people.

Siliguri Mayor and former Left Front minister Asok Bhattacharya (CPI-M) is leading by 1,873 votes from Siliguri seat in North Bengal. Counting of votes for the 294 seat West Bengal Assembly began at 8 AM across 90 venues spread all over the state.

PTI