The news that a prominent news channel will not be covering the counting of votes for elections held to the legislative assemblies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry scheduled on Sunday May 2, has lifted the spirits of the Opposition parties in the country. But India and its people are protecting themselves from the violent Covid-19 surge and are testy at the possibility of another long lockdown.
West Bengal, which went to the polls in 8 phases which began on March 27 and ended a month later on April 29, has 294 Assembly seats, Tamil Nadu 234, Kerala 140, Assam 126 and Puducherry 30.
As Bengal’s elections went through its phases, the Covid-19 spread also widened in the country. The data on Bengal about the extent of Covid spread is not out yet. But the campaign saw political leaders across party lines speaking to crowds without wearing masks or speaking about the need to even wear the mask as a prophylactic measure. Western media has been scathing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and others for not heeding the Covid call.
Who will win West Bengal?
Bengal will be the cynosure of all attention where a straight contest is expected between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the challenge posed by the BJP. The CPI (M)-Congress-ISF alliance is also expected to give a tough fight to the BJP and the TMC on some seats.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in Bengal this time and can end up hurting the Trinamool voteshare. But the campaign will be noted for a couple of slogans like Khela Hobe and the more notorious Didi-O-Didi, which could have hurt the BJP much more than it could have imagined. The Delhi media has been building up a narrative that the BJP will either win or come a close second. Sunday will have all the answers.
Can AIADMK win re-election without Jayalalithaa?
In Tamil Nadu, the ruling AIADMK has allied with the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the BJP, the DMK has aligned with the Congress and CPI(M). The newly formed Makkal Needhi Maiam of Kamal Haasan contested the polls in alliance with other smaller regional parties. Former AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who floated his own party AMMK has contested polls in alliance with the AIMIM, which is also contesting for the first time in Tamil Nadu.
Much pilloried, the E. Palaniswami government has not been a lameduck either. It has risen to the coronavirus challenge admirably, and this late flourish of the Chief Minister is leading a large number of Tamil news publications and TV to pitch the AIADMK on a stronger wicket.
Can Pinarayi Vijayan win it again for LDF?
The Kerala Assembly elections were held on April 6, 2021 in a single phase for 140 seats. In Kerala, it is a three-cornered fight between the incumbent CPM-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF, and the BJP.
Like in Bengal, the BJP bluster could have pushed more undecided voters towards the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front. The choice of Metroman E. Sreedharan as its CM aspirant could have worked elsewhere but in Kerala, it can end up as the torpedo for the party’s chances. A local BJP leadership could have helped, even if local leaders were assuring Keralites on the quality of beef after their expected victory, but Sreedharan erudite as he maybe in rail engineering, couldn’t catch the pulse of the people nor avoid the pitfalls of raising North India-centric dogwhistles like love jihad, angering the voters’ in Kerala even more.
Smooth sailing for BJP in Assam?
Assam voted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 7. In the 2016 Assembly elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 86 of the state’s 126 seats. The ruling party is contesting 92 seats in alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad, which is contesting 26 seats. The United People’s Party Liberal is contesting 8 seats.
In the opposition grand alliance, the Congress is contesting 94 seats, whereas Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF is contesting 14.
Will BJP bag Puducherry?
While the Union Territory of Puducherry is witnessing a direct contest between the UPA and NDA. The NDA – comprising the AINRC contesting 16 seats of the total 30 constituencies, BJP on 9 and the AIADMK on 5 – is taking on the UPA alliance of the Congress and the DMK whcih are contesting 14 and 13 seats respectively. The Congress is also supporting an independent in Yanam. Othe rUPA constituents, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the CPI are contesting on one seat each.
The V. Narayanasamy-led government in Puducherry, a Union Territory, lost majority on February 22 after seven MLAs quit one after the other and Narayanasamy stepped down from the CM’s post. He has not contested the 2021 election.
Assam election results: BJP ahead in 12 seats, Congress leads in 9
The ruling BJP is ahead in 12 seats, while the Congress is leading in nine seats.
LDF leading in 30 seats in Kerala , Congress in 27- Early trends
Leads in 60 seats have emerged from Kerala. CM Pinarai Vijayan’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) is leading in 30 seats while opposition UDF is ahead in 27 seats. Interestingly, the BJP, which is a marginal player, is ahead in three seats.
West Bengal: BJP leading in 23 seats, Trinamool in 18
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is lagging behind the BJP. Early trends show the BJP is leading in 23 seats while the ruling Trinamool Congress is leading in 18.
Counting of votes underway for #WestBengalPolls is underway. Visuals from a counting centre in Haldia of East Midnapore where votes in Haldia, Mahishadal and Nandigram are being counted.
Counting underway in Kerala’s Idukki
Tamil Nadu postal ballot leads
Postal ballot leads in Tamil Nadu shows that the DMK alliance is leading in five seats, while the ADMK alliance is leading in 1.
Postal Ballot leads in Assam, Kerala out
In Assam, the BJP is leading in 2 while the Congress is leading in 1 seat. In Kerala, the LDF and the UDF are leading in two each.
First postal leads out in Bengal
Both – the Trinamool and the BJP – have secured a lead each in West Bengal in postal ballots. Postal Ballot votes are not significant in terms of determining the result.
Counting of votes also being done for by-election to Parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati), Karnataka (Belgaum), Kerala (Malappuram) and Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari). Votes also being counted for by-election to Vidhan Sabha in 10 states.
Counting of votes for #AssemblyElections2021 begins.
Votes are being counted across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The election results this time will take longer because of the Covid-19 crisis.
The majority mark in Kerala’s 140-member Assembly is 72. India Today Exit Poll predicted that LDF is expected to win 104-120 out of 140 seats, UDF is likely to get 20-36, and NDA is only expected to get only 0-2 seats. Pinarayi Vijayan is tipped to beat the cyclical LDF-UDF turnstile this time with his government’s reasonable performance during Covid times
Tamil Nadu exit poll predictions suggested that AIADMK alliance is likely to get 58-68 seats, DMK alliance likely to swipe elections with 160-170 constituencies, while ANMK is expected to get 4-6 seats. This is the first election in the 70 years without DMK stalwart Karunanidhi and first such without AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa for some 40 years.
Congress not to participate in TV debates today
Citing Covid crisis, the Congress has said it will not participate in television debates Sunday on the Assembly election results in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
At a time when the nation is facing an unprecedented crisis, when Government under Prime Minister Modi has collapsed, the Congress find it unacceptable to not hold them accountable and instead discuss election wins and losses. The party have decided to withdraw its spokespersons from election debates, Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said.
Counting of votes for #AssamAssemblyPolls to be held at two locations in Dibrugarh, at Dibrugarh Govt Boys Higher Secondary School and Deputy Commissioner Office, Dibrugarh.
Visuals of security arrangement outside the counting centre in Tamil Nadu, Kerala. Puducherry, and Assam.
As many as 1,382 personnel has been deployed for counting of votes in the whole of the UT while about 400 police personnel shall be on security duties.
In view of the surging Covid-19 cases, the Election Commission had issued a blanket ban on all victory rallies during and after the counting of votes in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The commission has made it compulsory for candidates and their agents to either be fully vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19 in the preceding 48 hours.
Counting of votes in four states and a Union Territory will begin today from 8 am, bringing to an end a heated, acrimonious poll season.
The Arvind Kejriwal government has decided to extend curfew in Delhi for another week. The Delhi government had extended the week-long curfew till May 3 earlier, now it will be in force till May 10.