Trinamool surges ahead in West Bengal

The electoral contest in India's West Bengal has seen its share of turbulence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP takes on Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress or TMC, NDTV reports.

West Bengal elects 42 of 543 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, of the 42, Trinamool had won 22 seats and the BJP came a close second with 18 seats. The Congress, backed by the Communist Party CPI(M) came a distant third with 2 seats. 

Though Mamata Banerjee is part of the opposition INDIA Bloc nationally, in Bengal, her party is contesting independently of the alliance in all 42 seats. 

The Congress and CPI(M) are contesting together. PM Modi's BJP aims to not just increase the vote share this election, but if exit poll trends are to come true, then the BJP may emerge as the single-largest party in West Bengal - which would thereby indicate a huge shift in Bengal politics. 

Early trends show the BJP-led alliance is leading in just under 300 seats, while opposition parties are ahead in about 200.

Narendra Modi is eyeing a rare third consecutive term for himself and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Early results show the Congress party along with other opposition parties doing better than expected.

A party or alliance that wins more than 272 seats in the 543-member parliament can form the government.

The world's biggest election was held in seven phases over six weeks with almost a billion people registered to vote.

More than two dozen opposition parties that joined to take on Modi and the BJP are hoping to prove exit polls wrong.