As vote counting is underway in five states, Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted in a rather interesting manner. Counting is taking place in five states - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and Kerala. Except for Assam and Puducherry, where the BJP government is likely to return to power, changes appear likely in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala.
According to trends till 11.30 am on counting day, the BJP had crossed the halfway mark in West Bengal and looked set to surpass the decisive figure of 148 seats needed to form the government.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) appeared poised to replace the LDF-led government. In Tamil Nadu, TVK, led by actor Vijay, seemed to be heading for a historic debut, having crossed the 100-seat mark in the 234-member Assembly, where 118 seats are required for a majority.
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Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar appeared visibly surprised by the emerging trends, particularly in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Reacting on X, he posted “bloody hell” along with a shocked emoji, reflecting his reaction to the unexpected trends unfolding in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting on X, he posted “bloody hell” along with a shocked emoji, reflecting his reaction to the unexpected trends unfolding in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
{{/usCountry}}According to many pollsters, West Bengal was projected to witness a BJP government for the first time, though a few had given the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) a slight edge. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had dismissed the exit polls, alleging they were designed to influence the stock market.
The BJP had already begun celebrations, distributing sweets in the Bhabanipur assembly constituency as well as at its party office in Delhi.
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In Tamil Nadu, most pollsters had predicted a victory for M. K. Stalin’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with one exception. Axis My India was the only agency to project nearly 120 seats for Vijay’s TVK. By 12 pm on counting day, TVK was leading in 135 seats.
In Kerala, the Indian National Congress was leading in 58 constituencies, followed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in 22.