The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called a high-level meeting in Kolkata on Saturday to review the party's preparations ahead of the counting of votes for the high-stakes assembly elections in West Bengal that is scheduled to be held on May 4.
In this meeting, the party leadership will assess booth-level management and coordination mechanism to ensure that entire process is streamlined. Additionally, the party will also finalise its strategy and approach for the D-day on May 4.
"All 'pravasis' (outstation leaders) deployed during the election campaign, including Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies, have been directed to attend the meeting. These leaders were assigned key responsibilities across constituencies and will provide detailed feedback and updates from their respective regions," news agency ANI quoted as saying.
Exit poll projections
In West Bengal, which voted in two phases on April 23 and 29, most of the exit polls have predicted a victory for the BJP, giving it a clear edge over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC). Although some of the exit polls have also predicted a victory of the TMC.
As per the Matrize exit poll projections, the BJP is likely to win somewhere between 146 and 161 seats, while the TMC is projected to win around 125 to 140 seats. Other parties may also get six to 10 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
The saffron party is buoyed by the exit poll projections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he will next visit West Bengal for the swearing in ceremony of BJP's chief minister.
Mamata remains confident of victory
Though the TMC have given an edge to the BJP, Mamata is confident of her victory and her return to power for a fourth consecutive term. However, in a video message released on Thursday, the chief minister urged TMC workers and leaders to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
She has also rejected the exit poll projections. "We will cross 226. We may even get 230. I have full faith in the way people have voted," she said.
"Even in such scorching heat, and despite so much oppression, the way you stood in queues to vote -- we are grateful. I am also grateful to my workers. They fought with everything they had. They endured a lot of oppression. Those who tried to subdue Bengal have themselves been subdued in the ballot box," she said, while thanking the voters.
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