Left surges towards victory in W Bengal

Exit polls have forecast a Left Front victory for a seventh consecutive term.

West Bengal's ruling Left Front surged towards victory as the counting of votes polled in the five-phase Assembly elections began on Thursday.

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The Trinamool Congress - Bharatiya Janata Party alliance posed the main challenge to the Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India - Marxist, followed by the Congress.

Exit polls have forecast a Left Front victory for a seventh consecutive term.

The overall turnout in the polls was a whopping 81 per cent, up by seven per cent from 2001. The total electorate in the state is 48.9 million.