"We expect potato prices to drop starting tomorrow", say authorities
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) saw a significant increase in its vote share and seat tally. According to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Mamata Banerjee-led party's vote share rose by over 2%, from 43.7% in 2019 to 45.77% in 2024. TMC also won 29 Lok Sabha seats, up from 22 in the previous elections, marking a gain of seven seats.
In contrast, the BJP, the main opposition in West Bengal, experienced a decline in its vote share, which fell from 40.6% in 2019 to 38.73% in 2024. The BJP's seat count also decreased, dropping from an unprecedented 18 seats in 2019 to 12 in the recent elections.
This result came despite many exit polls predicting a strong performance for the BJP, with some forecasting up to 30 seats for the party. This echoed the 2021 assembly elections, where exit polls incorrectly predicted a BJP victory over the TMC. While Mamata Banerjee lost her own seat in Nandigram to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, her party won the state elections, securing her a third term as chief minister.
West Bengal, which sends 42 members to the 543-member Lok Sabha, is the third largest state in terms of parliamentary representation, following Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.