Kolkata: In a see-saw battle, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee regained the lead over BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari in the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency after the third round of counting Monday.
According to Election Commission data, Banerjee was ahead by 898 votes as she polled 9,359 votes against Adhikari’s 8,461.
The development came after Adhikari was ahead in the second round by 1,558 votes.
Banerjee had begun the day on a strong note, leading by 1,996 votes in the opening round – underscoring the volatile nature of early counting trends in the constituency.
Counting of votes for the 293 assembly constituencies in West Bengal was underway amid tight security arrangements.
The Bhabanipur contest is being closely watched as a prestige battle, with Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, positioning himself as the BJP’s principal challenger to Banerjee.
With several rounds still to be counted, trends are expected to shift further as the day progresses.
