- 1 day ago
West Bengal enters the second and final phase of elections with 142 seats across seven districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, and South 24 Parganas.
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00:00Well, welcome, good evening. You're watching India Today. Our special coverage. Namaskar from Maria and I, freshly back from West
00:07Bengal.
00:08And we come to you on the eve of the second phase of elections in West Bengal. 142 seats, 7
00:16districts will vote tomorrow.
00:18This is Mamata Banaji's bastion. What you see right behind us is the iconic Biswa Bangla Gate in New Calcutta,
00:26which the TMC says is an icon of development. Bikash. Lots of words that Maria and I have...
00:33I must compliment you. You've picked up a lot of good words. And you're speaking good Bengali.
00:37Chakri. You know what Chakri is? Job is like a keyword there. So Maria and I have both picked up
00:43a few words as we've travelled.
00:45We're going to cut across to our reporters. But first up, let me take you through the headlines.
00:53Big Singham versus TMC candidate showdown in Bengal a day before phase 2 polls after top cop warns against voter
00:59intimidation.
01:00Voters, TMC candidates say, you've started the game, we'll end it.
01:05Stages protest against IPS officer.
01:22Government's big assurance amid speculation over fuel price rise says no plan to increase fuel prices after Bengal polls.
01:30Meanwhile, Indian Airlines sends SOS to government over surging jet fuel rates.
01:41Vijay's temple run ahead of Big Verdict Day after visiting Lord Murugun Temple in Tamil Nadu, TVK chief, to visit
01:48Shirdi Temple tomorrow.
01:49Fans flock as Vijay offers prayers.
01:57Karnataka Game of Thrones reignite. Big buzz over cabinet reshuffle.
02:01Sidhara Mahiya's close aide claims, chief minister ready to quit if Rahul asks him.
02:06Several MLAs also flock to Delhi, seeking cabinet perks.
02:12A Behelgam-like attack in Mumbai, security guards asked about their religion-stabbed entire incident caught on camera.
02:23Under fire, Indian Overseas Bank clarifies after visuals of an Odisha daily wager carrying his sister's skeletal remains horrifies the
02:31nation.
02:32Claims they did not ask him to physically produce the dead body.
02:53News break right and top police complaint filed against IPS officer Rajaypal Sharma and central forces for allegedly barging into
03:01a house at night and assaulting women in Falta.
03:04A complaint filed by one woman at the Falta PS, joint BDO Falta has been suspended by the EC Falta
03:11BDO Saurav Hazra, has been removed from his post.
03:25After a high-voltage phase, Bengal now heads into the crucial second phase of election, like we just pointed out.
03:31142 seats, seven districts and a direct contest in the TMC's heartland.
03:37Can the BJP make inroads?
03:39Well, they not just have to make inroads, they will have to sweep Mamta Banerjee's bastion.
03:59After a bumper turnout in phase one, the focus now shifts to what could be Bingo's defining round.
04:08Phase two, where the noise of campaigning gives way to the people's verdict.
04:16On Wednesday, 142 seats across seven districts go to the post.
04:22From the packed lanes of Kolkata to the sprawling belts of north and south 24 Parganas,
04:29through Haurav, Nadia, Hooghly and Poorba Bardaman.
04:34If phase one tested the BJP's strength in the north, this round goes straight into the TMC's comfort zone, its
04:42strongest turf.
04:44Because in 2021, Mamta Banerjee did not just win here, she swept it.
04:50123 out of 142 seats, leaving the BJP with just 18.
04:56And that dominance wasn't abstract.
04:59It played out seat by seat, district by district.
05:04Kolkata and Haurav, a clean sweep for the TMC, winning all seats.
05:09South 24 Parganas, near total control.
05:13North 24 Parganas, heavily tilted, as TMC won 28 of 33 seats, leaving BJP with 5 seats.
05:21Hooghly and Poorba Bardaman firmly in the TMC column.
05:26Only Nadia offered the BJP some breathing space, where it won 9 of 17 seats, the one crack in an
05:33otherwise solid wall.
05:36But elections don't repeat themselves.
05:39And the BJP is now looking to breach this very fortress, improve on its 2021 tally and change the script.
05:47This time, the stakes are also deeply personal.
05:52Mamta Banerjee faces a crucial test from Bhavanipur.
05:56A symbolic seat and a political statement.
05:59Alongside her, senior ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja, Arup Vishwas, Bratia Basu and Sujit Basu all seeking to hold ground.
06:13The map hasn't changed, but the mood might have.
06:17Will the TMC hold on to its heartland or can the BJP finally break through?
06:22Phase 2 is where Bengal begins to answer.
06:26Bureau Report, India Today.
06:30If the first phase was advantage, Bharatiya Janata Party, because this is where they had done well in 2021,
06:35the second phase is crucial, Maria, for Mamta Banerjee.
06:40If we break it down, the last year around in 142 seats, Maria and I were just discussing earlier on,
06:46the BJP stood at just 18, the TMC at 126 and one independent.
06:50The BJP will have to practically sweep Didi's bastion.
06:55Absolutely. And if you look at the sheer numbers, as you were saying, Preeti,
06:58it becomes important in the context also because in these 142, it's not just South 24 Parganas,
07:05which is Mamta Banerjee's fortress, Kolkata, Havra, all these are seen as bastions of Didi.
07:11There is also North 24 Parganas where the BJP did well.
07:15These 18 seats actually came from that district.
07:19The important part of this phase would be whether BJP has managed to make inroads, particularly among urban women,
07:28where the BJP is hoping that the issue of RG car and crimes against women will resonate with them.
07:35It does. It does at the moment. When you speak to women, they do speak about safety and security as
07:42an important issue.
07:43All right, they do seem to speak about security, safety as an important issue in pockets, of course.
07:49You know, as Maria and I are going to bring in our other colleagues, Indrajit Kundu, as well as Moshmi,
07:53who is still there,
07:54you can sense in here the anti-incumbency.
07:57Is that enough to flip the government, especially flip seats in this crucial region?
08:02I'm going to cut across to our election intelligence dashboard, cutting edge data analytics, which of course has been clubbed,
08:08Maria,
08:09with our ground reports, with all of India Today's night.
08:12And which we have mastered.
08:13No, with all of us.
08:14Which we have certainly mastered over the last few days.
08:16Which is all of us.
08:17All of us on the ground, getting our viewers the latest cutting edge data analytics that I'm just going to
08:22go to.
08:23And also the biggest interviews right here on India Today.
08:27So, Maria, as I quickly cut across to our election intelligence dashboard, what is important,
08:32which what Maria was also suggesting, are those seven districts.
08:35Sixteen districts, viewers, had gone to vote in the first phase.
08:39Seven districts will go to vote in this phase.
08:42We're going to divide it in regions.
08:43In terms of regions, what it looks like right now when we cut across to West Bengal,
08:48well, there are two regions that will primarily be going to vote this time around.
08:53And that is Bardaman and presidency.
08:55Presidency is what Maria was talking, is practically the fortress of Mamta Banerjee.
09:00Just look at it there.
09:01And you see that big, you know, orange chunk right here.
09:06Well, those are 18 seats.
09:07They've been taken together.
09:08And Maria travelled extensively in North 24 Paraganas,
09:11which is the district area, which has Nadia as a district, you know,
09:17which also has Nadia, Maria.
09:18And these are the areas where the Matua community dominates.
09:22So, the BJP would be looking to consolidate this vote, which is the Matua vote,
09:26and also then make inroads in the rest of presidency,
09:31which is the urban sectors of Kolkata, Haura, Uglis, South 24 Paraganas.
09:36Yes, and trying to make inroads also in South 24 Paraganas,
09:40because South 24 Paraganas is almost like it has not been penetrated at all.
09:46They have almost discounted it so long.
09:49But now that they have fielded Rupa Ganguly from one of the constituencies,
09:53Rupa Ganguly, famously known as Sita of Mahabharat.
09:57So, she has that recall value.
09:59I did speak to her.
10:00You do get that sense that she is drawing crowd,
10:03that there is curiosity around her campaign as well.
10:06So, you know, Preeti, when we look at presidency or these pockets,
10:09you realize that this is essentially, you know,
10:12the NCR that we speak about in the context of Delhi, the national capital region.
10:16So, is Kolkata expanding into Havda, South 24 Paraganas, North 24 Paraganas,
10:22several urban pockets, densely populated, and at the same time, rural pockets.
10:27That's why it's difficult to predict as they say.
10:29Seven districts and, largely, two regions.
10:33Presidency and Bardovan.
10:34We are sticking with presidency.
10:36And what we also did, Maria, and what we did, viewers,
10:39we went across as our own bench strength on India today and Bangla, Ajdak,
10:43and I'm going to bring in Indrajit Kundu.
10:45Where are reporters on ground and trying to figure out what are the biggest issues?
10:48And I want to take you now, what were the biggest issues
10:51where presidency as a region was concerned?
10:53So, the regional issues, let's cut across to presidency,
10:56you can see the Matua factor, Mutua vote factor.
10:58Now, these are the SC votes, the Mutua community votes,
11:02lock, stock and barrel with the BJP in 2021 and even 2024 elections.
11:06It started after 2019 with the cry of NRC and CAA,
11:11and they have largely been with the BJP.
11:13So, the Mutua factor, yes, there are, what, 13 seats,
11:20and you can see them right there in the North Chawbis Paragnaz,
11:22where the Mutua's have a strong influence,
11:26and this swept by the BJP.
11:30The TMC would hope this time around, Maria,
11:32that they pull back some of the Mutua voters where SIR is concerned.
11:38Because they would, a lot of names in the Mutua community was cut in SIR
11:42and they're hoping this time thoda vaapis ajae.
11:44Haa, so, but, Preeti, you know, in this among the,
11:47and perhaps Indajit can come on this,
11:50particularly among the Mutua's, you see that high religious sentiment.
11:56You know, when we speak about nationalism, religious sentiment,
12:00and sub-nationalism sentiments, all are at play in the context of Bengal.
12:04And that's what makes this election extremely complex at the same time.
12:08Because there is linguistic identity.
12:10There is sub-national Bengali identity.
12:12And also at the same time, religious identity.
12:15Nationalism is an important issue.
12:17And that's why Indajit, when we look at North Chawbis Paragnaz,
12:20that's where the nerve center of Thakur Badi is there.
12:23That's where the Thakur Matwa temple is there.
12:26And the Prime Minister went, even this time around.
12:282021.
12:29Even this time around.
12:31And remember, famously in 2021,
12:33he traveled to Bangladesh to reach out to the Matwas.
12:36True.
12:37Because the messaging was that with the CA in implementation,
12:41those Matwas will get citizenship in India.
12:44All right.
12:45Maria, let's quickly get in Indrajit.
12:46Yes.
12:47And Indra, you know, this is where the chunk,
12:50the BJP won 18 seats in 2021 of the 142 seats.
12:54Eleven of them came in from North Chawbis Paragnaz, the Mutua belt,
12:59mostly SC belt, but dominant in this particular area.
13:03How do you see it pan out tomorrow?
13:06Because there is a certain amount of despondency in the community
13:09after a large number of votes have been cut in seats like Rana Ghat.
13:13And there are three adjoining seats in Rana Ghat which could be impacted with that.
13:19Well, that's right.
13:20If you see, the Matwa vote is in fact, you know, concentrated in the Bonga belt,
13:26the Bonga subdivision of North 24th Paragna district,
13:29and in Nadia district, two adjoining areas.
13:32Now, a very, very crucial factor.
13:35In fact, Matwa vote is what gave the BJP of Philip in the last few elections.
13:40But with the CA being the biggest demand from the Matwa community,
13:44and that has been fulfilled in the 2024 elections.
13:47And the BJP in 2019, in 2021, and in 2024 Lok Sabha elections has got the dividend,
13:55the Matwa support.
13:56But will they get the support this time around?
13:58That's the key question because despite the implementation of the CAA,
14:03which has been a long pending demand within the Matwa community,
14:07most people haven't applied for CAA.
14:10And that seemed to have played its role in SIR name deletions
14:15because ultimately these Matwa community people are basically the refugees,
14:20the Hindu refugees who have come in from Bangladesh.
14:23So they've lost out in the SIR.
14:26Lots and lots of name deletions have happened in those areas.
14:29And these are all BJP core voters.
14:32So there is expected that there could be some losses for the BJP in that part.
14:37Okay.
14:37The BJP's calculation was that despite the losses that may happen in the Matwa belt,
14:42they would be able to gain some in other parts in southern Bengal in the presidency area,
14:47especially given the kind of anti-incomeancy one can feel in the urban and semi-urban areas.
14:51So the disaffection of those who don't find their names in the Mutwa community,
14:54as per the BJP, will cancel itself from the gains they'd make on the other,
14:59you know, in the other assembly seats.
15:01But I want to bring in Moshmi and Indra.
15:02I'm coming right back to you.
15:03Going back to Maria, what is the other big factor?
15:05Well, as per Indra's team there, Indra is our West Bengal bureau chief.
15:10We went on, did our own survey in terms of factors.
15:13We told you where Mutwa is a big factor.
15:15SIR is a factor in the region of presidency.
15:18And let's see what all seats does SIR actually impact.
15:22And let's go to that.
15:24There you have it.
15:25SIR impacts about 11 seats.
15:28And the TMC last time around had won seven of these 11 BJP four.
15:34Once again, four of these seats are the same ones
15:37where the Mutwa factor also can be taken into account.
15:41But these are the seats where SIR has played a huge role.
15:44The second, and Moshmi, you've been covering especially
15:47the minority community very closely in presidency area.
15:51The second phase, more deletions that have taken place in the second phase
15:55than they had taken place in the first phase itself.
15:58What are you picking up?
15:59Is there a consolidation of the minority vote?
16:01Is there a split?
16:07Preeti, since you started with saying that you and Maria are back to base,
16:12I would say that,
16:13Namoshkar Preeti,
16:14Aami aaj ilishmach khai chi.
16:17And credit to Indrajit and don't be jealous.
16:19And don't miss Kolkata too much.
16:22So, I would like to add, after all that feasting,
16:25that yes, we had a lot of brainstorming amongst us.
16:29And as you counted the Matwa vote,
16:32you know there are lots of M factors in this entire election.
16:36It's not only the Matwa, it's also, as you said, the minority vote,
16:40the Muslim vote, the Mahila vote, the migrant vote.
16:43So, lot of M's coming into...
16:46The Modi and the Manta vote.
16:47Right there.
16:48And the machinery vote.
16:50Who's better with the machinery?
16:51Of course.
16:51But go ahead.
16:52Sorry.
16:53And M for Moshmi also, who's on ground.
16:56Lots of M's.
16:56And of course.
16:59And M for Maria also, who's there in the newsroom.
17:02Ha.
17:02Yeah.
17:03So, perhaps M's ruling the roost there.
17:08Ha.
17:08Okay.
17:08Tell me.
17:09But at the end of the day, Preeti, it's the P vote that counts.
17:11It's the polling day that counts really.
17:14Okay.
17:15Coming back to the topic that you were talking about.
17:16Moshmi is in full flow with prose, sir.
17:17And poetry.
17:19But Moshmi, look at that first M or the second M we are speaking of.
17:23In the second phase.
17:24We've spoken of the Mutwa community.
17:26What of the Muslim minority vote?
17:28Hmm.
17:33So, I've, you know, I've been criss-crossing all the periphery
17:37and also, of course, the presidency area.
17:40And I see that there is a sense of insecurity
17:44in terms of if you don't vote, your existence is under threat
17:49as far as the Muslim voters are concerned.
17:52There is a consolidation not only amongst the lower middle class
17:58or the middle class of the Muslim voters,
18:01but also amongst them, the youth voters and the Mahila voters.
18:06Now, despite the fact that the BJP has made a high pitch for the Mahila vote,
18:12this is a homogenous lot as far as, you know,
18:16coming under the banner of the Muslim vote is concerned.
18:19The Mahila isn't thinking any different.
18:22I spoke to a lot of Muslim women voters
18:25and they were talking about the safety and security
18:28and the schemes that Mamta has really offered.
18:32And the sense of urgency as far as, you know,
18:36casting your vote or otherwise you will be outcast
18:40is what they really have read through.
18:43And also the Mach Bhat, Machli, Mutton, Jhalmuri politics.
18:49So, they do realize that there is a lot of...
18:51It's a strong counter-polarization and it's in favor of Mamta Banerjee.
18:55There are two votes as far as...
18:56Because there are about viewers and Indra and Mariah will also weigh in on that.
18:59About 70 seats, which out of 142 seats,
19:02which are impacted by the Muslim vote,
19:04some heavily in terms of percentage and some not so much.
19:07But we spoke of the Muslim vote.
19:09It's interesting, ISF has also now,
19:12Indian Secular Front has floated 33 candidates.
19:15And strangely and interestingly, Indra, you'd like to come in on that.
19:20From the seat of Bhangar is the Furfura Sharif Peerzada,
19:24who in 2021 had won only the lone non-BJP opposition seat.
19:30So, the seats were split between 77 to the BJP and the rest to the TMC
19:36and won alone at that time was as an independent.
19:40This time, he's standing from the seat of Bhangar Indra as an independent.
19:46And he says that the ISF will have influence over the Muslim vote as well.
19:52Do you see a split at all, Indra?
19:53And I'm going to bring in Mariah on the other issues in presidency very quickly.
19:59Well, Bhangar is in South 24 Pargana.
20:02This is the one seat that ISF managed to win.
20:06You know, it has a huge Muslim influence, rural belt,
20:09not very far away from Calcutta, but very interesting seat.
20:13That's where Naushat Siddiqui, Abbas Siddiqui, the influential Furfura Sharif cleric,
20:18his brother won the seat, Naushat Siddiqui.
20:21He's once again contesting from Bhangar.
20:23That is where their influence lies.
20:26In fact, there are other seats also where the ISF is contesting,
20:29but this is the strongest as far as the seats that they are contesting are.
20:33So, it's going to be a triangular contest.
20:35Indra, very quickly, because we are short on time, do you see the influence of the ISF
20:39possibly only limited to this particular seat and possibly, you know,
20:44canning paschum is what is being said?
20:46Or, you know, you see the influence a little more?
20:51See, as far as the Muslim vote is concerned, I clearly believe that it's, you know,
20:57consolidating in favour of the Trinidad Congress in the backdrop of what has happened in the SIR.
21:02But there are pockets like Bhangar and Magda, where there would be influence of the Muslim community.
21:08This election is happening in the backdrop of the SIR.
21:10Fair point.
21:11And because it is happening in the backdrop of the SIR,
21:13there is total consolidation of the minority vote behind Mamata Banerjee.
21:20And so, when we look at it, you know, in that context, that there is a total consolidation, Preeti,
21:25because, you know, the minorities feel that this is a question of their survival.
21:30Fair point.
21:30So, there is a counter-polarization, whether Hindu vote is concerned, how much is that, we'll know.
21:35But the other factor in presidency, because largely presidency is where this election lies as well,
21:41in Burdhavan, we'll come to the other region as well, is infra.
21:45And, you know, our reporters on ground spoke to a lot of voters, and infra is a huge issue.
21:50Bikash is what we were speaking of, and that is the urban belt.
21:5534 of these 35 seats where infrastructure development is a big issue were won by the TMC.
22:01The BJP only won one.
22:02And, Mariya, this is what you are talking about, that the BJP wants to make inroads,
22:06especially in the urban belt, on the basis of infrastructure development and what they call Bikash.
22:12Yes, and double-engine, Sarkar.
22:14Okay.
22:14The question is of double-engine, Sarkar.
22:15You hear about it on ground a lot.
22:18Because particularly in urban pockets, there is the sense that perhaps Bengal has been left behind
22:23in comparison to other states which are governed by the BJP.
22:26So, in urban pockets, the BJP is reaching out to, say, the male voters in the context of what they
22:34can bring,
22:34in terms of saying that if the state government and the centre has the same governments,
22:38it will be a different story.
22:39For urban women, it is about safety and security, looking at the backdrop of RG car incident
22:46and other issues that which has happened, even Park Street incident.
22:49Indra, would you want to come in 35 seats where our colleagues on ground figured infrastructure development was a huge
22:56issue
22:56and these seats, you know, as expected, fall in the urban belt.
23:0034 of these 35 were swept by the TMC, the BJP, hoping to make a dent in the urban vote
23:07bank of Mamata Banerjee.
23:11Well, you know, that's the kind of paradox we are seeing in this election.
23:14Even though we see the highest amount of anti-incumbency in urban and semi-urban areas,
23:19this is where, you know, one would call is the TMC bastion.
23:23The TMC has swept Kolkata, the 11 seats, and TMC has swept north, south, 24 Parganas, Haura, Hooghly,
23:30all the, you know, semi-urban areas.
23:32So, it would be very, very interesting how it plays out in this election post-SIR,
23:36because this is where you see the most vocal anti-TMC rhetoric coming in from the people.
23:41And mostly the kind of anti-incumbency we are seeing in the urban belt.
23:46Right. And most of the anti-incumbency, I think, that we are seeing on ground is consolidated.
23:51It's also because they are most vocal, Preeti.
23:52Most vocal. And you're seeing it in the urban belt.
23:53Not that you're not seeing it in the rural belt, but you can hear it in the urban belt.
23:57But, Moshmi, I want to bring you in, and Indro and Maria, final comments,
24:00because there are two regions that are going to vote tomorrow.
24:04Presidency, we've done a deep dive in.
24:06Bardowan. Bardowan is the region, the last time around, this is the rural belt.
24:10Bardowan has 35 seats, and 34 seats.
24:14And in 34 seats in the region of Bardowan, 30 were taken by the TMC,
24:19just four by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
24:22And, Moshmi, you've also travelled into the rural belt,
24:25especially in the Bardowan section.
24:27You were coming down all the way to Kolkata from there.
24:30What did you note?
24:31Does the kind of anti-incumbency that one hears in the urban belt resonate in the rural belt as well?
24:38Or is it a different story there?
24:44See, Priti, I'll say that if, you know, infra is an issue in the presidency area,
24:50even in the rural stretch, you know, people are talking about not getting enough work,
24:57about employment, even as the schemes are reaching, the TMC schemes are reaching.
25:04Yeah, that's true.
25:05And, you know, like we went to pockets where also because of the SIR exercise,
25:12many genuine voters, their names have been cut in villages
25:16because they didn't have the necessary documents in these stretches,
25:20which are strictly rural belts.
25:22You know, their father's name was there, but their name is not there,
25:25and they had to run around a lot for documents.
25:28So multiple factors there, you know, adding to the woos of the rural stretch.
25:34Also, I'd like to say that I've seen a lot of BJP workers,
25:38we are talking about the rural stretch and saying that perhaps the BJP's presence
25:43in these bastions of the TMC is not as much.
25:47But from 2021, I see a lot of difference this time round,
25:52as far as carpet bombing of BJP workers is concerned in the rural belt.
25:58You won't see the flags, but you see them walking on ground behind the scenes.
26:03And I spend a day with the RSS cadre in the rural belt,
26:06and you can actually see the difference in how they are mapping every booth, every household.
26:10Indra, quickly come in and weigh in on Bardavan.
26:12Of course, not all seats are going into elections and polling tomorrow.
26:15Some of them have already gone in the first phase,
26:17but a lot of Bardavan still voting tomorrow.
26:22Well, absolutely. And Bardavan is very, very important.
26:25It was in this district that a few years back,
26:28in the last election, Lok Sabha election,
26:30Surindan Singh Aluwalia won the seat for the BJP, the Lok Sabha seat there.
26:34But the Trinamool has been able to reclaim that area.
26:37So, very interesting.
26:38Bardavan is known as the rice bowl of Bengal, agrarian economy, agrarian society.
26:42So, a lot of rural vote there in Bardavan.
26:46TMC stronghold, but the BJP really needs to, you know, pull up their games there
26:50in order to be able to bring more seats into their fold in this area.
26:56So, you're saying TMC stronghold, the BJP really needs to make massive inroads.
27:00Many would suggest in the rural areas it has, but is it enough?
27:03That's the big question.
27:04Okay, I'm going to take final words in right now.
27:06And I want to quickly turn back to the election intelligence dashboard.
27:09We'd like to show off a bit.
27:11So, we've introduced a new data set, which is the Mahila vote.
27:16And we've talked endlessly about the Mahila vote, Maria, ad nauseum, ad such.
27:20Now, how important is the Mahila vote in Bengal?
27:22I don't even have to say it, pretty much has had Mamata Banerjee's back.
27:27If the Mahila vote shifts, then what happened?
27:29We've just done on a sensitive data, you know, point analysis.
27:33If there is a rise of 10% in the Mahila vote, we still don't know what the second phase
27:39is going to be.
27:39But if there is a rise in 10% in the Mahila vote and it shifts, then that is the
27:44inflection point.
27:45You see the government shifting.
27:47Now, will it happen?
27:48We don't quite know because tomorrow, again, we don't have the voting percentage
27:52of how, you know, men and women have voted.
27:55And once that comes in, we'll get a better understanding.
27:58So, this will be good to do tomorrow.
27:59And we're going to revisit that.
28:01But, Priti, one question.
28:02So, if this is an increase of 10% between the two genders, there's a gap,
28:07then are we assuming that the entire 10% has moved towards the…
28:10Well, that, you know, traditional sophology data is the base point of our analysis.
28:16And as per that, that is what it seems to suggest.
28:18So, you have to take it with a pinch of salt.
28:20But if there is a 10% increase, then you see a government flip.
28:23We've already seen a massive turnout increase.
28:25Some would suggest, many would suggest, and true to that, that a lot of that has to do with the
28:29SIR.
28:30Otherwise, it would have come down.
28:32But we are also seeing a huge spike in the women voters again.
28:35Final comments as I go back to base where Maria is.
28:37Maria, what are you looking at tomorrow when the second phase kicks in in Bengal?
28:41What a turnout, Priti.
28:43And I would be watching rural and urban separately.
28:46Because urban pockets, loud anti-incumbency.
28:50In rural pockets, you sense women also speak about being unhappy with the Trinamul Congress.
28:57But they also make that distinction between the TMC and the Chief Minister, who's a woman.
29:02Right.
29:02So, if that happens, if that distinction merges, and it becomes about TMC alone, then we are seeing a different
29:10picture on 4th.
29:11Alright. Indra, you want to come in?
29:12Because yes, we've seen anti-herd, anti-incumbency in the urban belts as well.
29:16But, Indra, there's also a class difference.
29:19You go to the middle class belt, you hear the anti-incumbency, you walk into a slum, you see Mamta
29:24support.
29:27Well, that's right.
29:28So, all eyes will be on both these segments tomorrow.
29:31You know, generally, what we've seen is in the urban centers, in the cities like Kolkata, you know, there's a
29:37dip in polling percentage.
29:38People don't really come out to vote as much as we see in the rural belt.
29:43But tomorrow might be different.
29:44Because, again, I'm saying this election is happening in the backdrop of the SIR.
29:47So, even though those people who have their names on the electoral rolls, they're really, really eager to go and
29:52cast out their votes this time, because they really feel it's important to put it on record.
29:56So, we'll have to clearly see what kind of, you know, cues you get to see in the city of
30:01Kolkata.
30:02Tomorrow's Bhawanipur.
30:03Tomorrow's Bhawanipur.
30:04We didn't actually revisit that.
30:06Yes.
30:06Bhawanipur was the seat that Mamta Banerjee won in a by-election after losing Nandigram.
30:10She won from a margin of about 50,000 votes.
30:1250,000 is the deletion in Bhawanipur, where SIR is concerned.
30:18And as I bring Moshmi in, I'll give you a splice of data.
30:21In 2024, Lok Sabha elections, from the Assembly seat of Bhawanipur, the TMC was leading by only 5,000 votes.
30:2850,000 have been cut.
30:30I'm not saying anything.
30:31So, I'm just going to leave that data out there.
30:33And I'm going to bring in Moshmi, who's actually been doing the rounds of Bhawanipur, speaking to the voters there.
30:39Moshmi, last word to you.
30:40Go ahead.
30:45I just recall that rally where Mamta said that I'm not going to address the gathering because it is insulting
30:51that I can hear BJP loudspeakers.
30:54And many, there was a lot of speculation whether she was unhappy with the number of people who were there
30:59or the crowd.
31:01So, but she's, I've seen her, you know, do a lot of Padhyatras in that stretch, which is unusual of
31:08her Preeti.
31:08That means that she's understanding that there is a tall challenge, humongous challenge, not only in her constituency, but to
31:17break the record of the past and come back.
31:19She knows that she's confronted with a huge challenge.
31:22Right.
31:23And also, as much as BJP would have done its arithmetic, I think that the TMC has done its homework
31:28well.
31:29All right.
31:29Well, it's a fight of Mamta Banerjee's life.
31:31Let's just end it there.
31:32The biggest at that.
31:33Many would suggest even bigger than what it was in 2011 because there were political indications right before that, that
31:39in all probability, TMC was coming to power.
31:42This time around, nobody quite knows.
31:44And all of that with the SIR in the backdrop.
31:47All right.
31:47With that, it's a wrap on West Bengal and our editors and reporters who've been covering the state.
31:52On the other side of this quick commercial break, we're going to quickly turn around because tomorrow will be exit
31:57poll day for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Pudducherry.
32:01To stay with me.
32:02So, watching to the point, I've switched Maria with Akshita because Maria and I travel through West Bengal, Akshita extensively.
32:11How long, Akshita, were you in West?
32:12A month.
32:12In Tamil Nadu for?
32:13A month.
32:14A month and you also went to Kerala.
32:16And she also briefly went to Kerala.
32:17I very briefly went to Assam, but mostly in West Bengal.
32:20We've got a brand new set of reporters and editors from ground.
32:24We're going to try and get you a ringside view on the eve of exit polls.
32:27Bengal Akshita has been the waterloo for mostly all sophologists.
32:32Tamil Nadu, usually they seem to have gotten it right, if not like horribly wrong, like they've got it from
32:36West Bengal.
32:37You know, that's largely because in Tamil Nadu, you usually see a seesaw trend, right?
32:41And like a pendulum, much like Kerala.
32:43It's always that anti-incumbency does hit.
32:45But this time, Hrithi, is an election like no other Tamil Nadu.
32:50And no, I'm not exaggerating when I say that.
32:52It's because of one person, one element that's thrown everything up in the air.
32:56It's almost impossible to predict.
32:58And I won't be surprised if come tomorrow...
33:01TVK Vijay.
33:01Yes, 100%.
33:02You know, it's so bizarre because I heard about TVK Vijay all the way in West Bengal.
33:06What are they saying?
33:07Because while we were like in the urban belt, right?
33:09You're going around asking voters and then they will say,
33:11Madam, what will happen with Vijay?
33:13Not bad.
33:14And TV, you know, is he going to be a factor?
33:15He's never been a pan-India.
33:17Maybe now he's become a pan-India politician.
33:19No, no, no.
33:20The Bengalis are inquisitive.
33:22He's not a hero or anything there, but they're just inquisitive.
33:24I think much like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, they're very politically aware.
33:27Yeah.
33:27Which is amazing to see.
33:29But Tamil Nadu is going to be a difficult one.
33:31And I can bet you that when the exit polls come in,
33:33each one is going to be predicting, you know, the other end of the spectrum.
33:36We will have to see what happens on May 4th.
33:38Because this election is like very difficult to predict right now
33:41because of this one new element that's been added in,
33:43who's essentially a vote cutter, Preeti.
33:45He's not someone who can perhaps sweep an election.
33:48You would have seen that in the voter turnout,
33:49if it was going to be a wave election.
33:51You know, while Akshita, you're talking,
33:52let me ask, you know, our producer Malvika to pull out Malvika,
33:55pull out what it looked like.
33:56Because the theatre, political theatre of Tamil Nadu
34:01has completely transformed what it was in 2021.
34:04So you will see a clear bipolar contest in 2021.
34:07Let's put out the seat tally there and the vote share.
34:10Yeah.
34:10None of that is the baseline anymore, Akshita, is it?
34:12No, I agree.
34:13You know, you see a 159 for DMK plus.
34:15DMK themselves, so 130 on their own.
34:18You look at the numbers right now.
34:19The question that's being asked is, who will Vijay cut more?
34:23Is it going to be on AIA-DMK?
34:24Is it going to be on DMK?
34:25I mean, you look at those numbers, the way they're stacked up.
34:27The obvious thought is that, look,
34:29maybe DMK can afford to absorb some of that dent, some of that impact.
34:32The AIA-DMK cannot really.
34:33When you look at those numbers of 75.
34:36And that's where, really, the question is.
34:38You look at urban, that's a DMK stronghold.
34:40So if Vijay eats into the urban pockets,
34:43that's a direct dent on the DMK.
34:44Minorities, Muslim, Christian vote banks,
34:46again, strongly with the DMK, if you look at 2021.
34:49So much so that almost 60% of the Christian vote bank in 2021
34:53went with the DMK in 2021.
34:55So then, you know, if TVK eats into that,
34:57how much will the DMK be dented?
34:59Anti-incubency vote that will have otherwise gone to the AIA-DMK
35:02will now go to Vijay.
35:03Rural, which is traditional strongholds, core vote of the AIA-DMK,
35:07that's where there's a bit of a question mark
35:09whether Vijay has managed to permeate through or not.
35:10You know, it's an unfair comparison,
35:12but Vijay is doing to the political field
35:15or the theatre of Tamil Nadu
35:17what possibly SIR is doing to West Bengal
35:19because nobody can tell which way it's going to cut,
35:21what's going to happen.
35:22No, you know what?
35:23Actually, the SIR, and I know it's not been as controversial in Tamil Nadu,
35:26over 70 lakh voters were removed after SIR.
35:29That's what's led to the voter turnout.
35:31But the fact is...
35:31It is a factor.
35:32I think there was no controversy over it.
35:34There was no controversy because most of the appeals were sorted out.
35:37It wasn't with what has happened in West Bengal.
35:39And there was no legal fight back none of that.
35:40So there wasn't any...
35:41You know, what I'm going to do is,
35:43Akhita, let's quickly at this point introduce Shibimol,
35:46who's our colleague who's been tracking the landscape of Kerala.
35:52Kerala, is it looking for a change?
35:55Will it be LDF or will it be UDF?
35:57How will the BJP do with its various allies?
36:00I want to also bring in Naga Arjun, my colleague.
36:03He is our South Bureau Chief.
36:06Naga, we're going to put you on the mat right off the bat.
36:09So tell us, Naga, who has the edge in Tamil Nadu?
36:13He had predicted a hung assembly.
36:14Are you sticking by that, Naga?
36:16Yes, I think it looks like both DMK and AI DMK Alliance
36:21will somewhere be around 90-95 seats, if not so.
36:255-10 seats here and there.
36:27But Vijay has dented both the traditional regional parties,
36:31largely in Kongu Belt, the AI DMK,
36:33and in Kanchupuram, Changalpatu in Tamil and Chennai region.
36:36These are the core areas of the DMK,
36:38and he's dented the DMK here.
36:40In each region, in fact, if I can break it down, Preeti,
36:44there's Kongu region, there's Delta region, there's South,
36:46and there's the Chennai region.
36:47So DMK versus TVK in Chennai,
36:50AI DMK versus TVK in Kongu region.
36:53In the Delta, one second is a three-way fight.
36:55And in most of the seats where TVK is being strong,
36:58NDA is being pushed to number three spot.
37:01And that's the bad news for the BJP and the AI DMK together.
37:04They'll have to figure out, go back to their drawing rooms
37:06to find out what exactly happened.
37:08But I still feel that Vijay would cut so much of anti-income rewards
37:11that it would be benefiting the DMK.
37:13So DMK is quite, I have an edge at this point of time because of Vijay.
37:18Is that what you feel?
37:19I would say yes.
37:21You know, Naga highlighted some of the regions.
37:23There are two regions in particular that I'm looking out for.
37:26One is West, the Kongu belt that Naga referred to,
37:28and Southern Tamil Nadu because that's such a mixed bag.
37:31And that's always up for grabs essentially.
37:32Hold on to that thought, Akshita.
37:34Let's get all the statistics from our election intelligence dashboard,
37:38the regions of Tamil Nadu, how these regions did the last time around.
37:41Go ahead, Akshita.
37:42So these are two regions that I'm looking out for.
37:44The Kongu belt, the Western belt, which is usually the AI DMK stronghold.
37:48There are two factors there that I look out for.
37:50And yes, while we're talking about TVK, I think what we're also focusing on
37:53in the Kongu belt is that the DMK has kind of changed up their strategy
37:56by putting up someone like a central Balaji in Coimbatore.
38:00They're trying to ensure that they kind of push hard at the NDA,
38:04the AI DMK core vote bank of Coimbatore.
38:06So they're going after those seats in that particular region.
38:09Southern Tamil Nadu simply because it's such a mixed bag.
38:12And then with Vijay's entry, you know, some of those Christian votes in regions
38:15like Kanya Kumari, all of that could get split.
38:18My sense is that as far as North Tamil Nadu goes, you know,
38:21whether it's the Vanya vote bank, that's something that the PMK has consolidated.
38:25So I don't see any impact of a newcomer having a dent there.
38:28But urban pocket, which I've referred to, Chennai district, 16 seats,
38:33which the DMK managed to sweep last time.
38:34There's a question about what happens this time around for that.
38:37And whether the AI DMK largely, Preeti,
38:40as a result of the TVK playing vote cutter in these urban seats,
38:43whether the AI DMK ultimately has a last laugh as a result of that.
38:46The only way I see the AI DMK or the NDA really benefiting from all of this
38:51is that TVK has played such a big vote cutter to DMK
38:54that they've kind of spoiled the party for them.
38:56And that's it.
38:56You know, this is where sometimes, you know, there are limits to data splicing as well,
39:00because we have our election intelligence dashboard all set and ready.
39:03But then you have someone like Vijay and the TVK
39:06who's now come into the mix and you just don't know.
39:08By the way, TVK supporters have been going after me
39:10because our 2021 data says right there, TVK zero.
39:13Exactly, but they were not in there.
39:15That's how it works.
39:15That's how it works. There was no TVK in 2021.
39:19So we can go back to the baseline, but the baseline doesn't quite exist anymore
39:23because you see a completely different political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
39:26So there's no point going back to data and try and number crunch there in terms of strongholds.
39:31Nothing of that exists.
39:32That's why it makes the Tamil Nadu election so much more interesting.
39:36But I think, you know, when we move to Kerala,
39:38I just want to bring in Naga and Akshita once again into this conversation.
39:42Should be just two minutes more of your patience before we come to Kerala.
39:45Is both of you agree that Vijay and TVK is not a Prashant Kishore or is not some...
39:50Oh, no, absolutely not.
39:51So he's a big contender. How much of that vote share will be?
39:54But he's still a vote cutter.
39:56I'd rather do a comparison between Tamil Nadu superstars who've entered politics.
40:00So I'd rather look at whether he performs like an MGR or whether he performs like a Vijaykant.
40:05Or a Kamal Hassan.
40:05Not a Kamal Hassan.
40:06Kamal Hassan was 3%. He'll definitely do better than that.
40:08He'll do better than that.
40:09Okay. Naga.
40:11Preeti, there's no comparison between...
40:12But you're looking at an MGR. One second. I just let that pass.
40:15So my parameters are MGR or Vijaykant. Vijaykant in 2006.
40:19So you're saying there's a possibility he could be an MGR.
40:22I don't see a wave happening.
40:23But I will say that 20% vote share is something that is possible for him.
40:27Okay, Kamal Naga.
40:29In fact, he's going to be between Captain Vijaykant in 2006 to 1977 MGR.
40:3436% is what MGR got in 1977 and formed a comfortable majority.
40:39130 odd seats to form the government.
40:41While Captain got 6 odd seats.
40:43So he would be somewhere between 10 to 15 seats.
40:46And a conversion of 23 to 28% average.
40:49In Chennai region, in few seats, he would be more than 30%.
40:52He would be converting 4 to 5 seats in Chennai region alone.
40:55Naga, you're speaking like a sophologist.
40:58Yeah, belting out numbers with confidence which is like...
41:01I'm quite...
41:02I'm not impressed.
41:03Naga's exit poll is...
41:04He's already given the numbers before...
41:06Naga's exit poll is out.
41:07Before tomorrow evening.
41:08Well done, Naga.
41:09I don't dare do that.
41:10Preeti, Preeti, in fact...
41:11I am impressed.
41:13We will cut this chunk and play it out on May 4th by 1 PM.
41:16Yeah, now he's talking like a politician also.
41:18You wait.
41:19We'll record this.
41:20We'll record this.
41:20Yeah, we're recording this.
41:22Okay, Naga, we've recorded this.
41:23Okay, stay on with me.
41:23Both of you have also travelled up.
41:25Naga and Akshita extensively through Kerala as well.
41:28But Shibi, what's it looking like in Kerala?
41:30Exit polls tomorrow.
41:31Are you already getting calls?
41:33Because the numbers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been sealed a while ago.
41:42Well, Preeti, in Kerala, I think everything will depend on the minority consolidation.
41:46If there was a minority consolidation that has taken place in Kerala, like the Lok Sabha
41:51election 2024, then it's game UDF.
41:53Congress can start discussing their CM candidate.
41:56They've already started discussing since the last two weeks.
41:58So they can continue with their discussions.
42:00But if the LDF was successful in, you know, making some, getting some votes from that minority
42:05side, then yes, it's a very tight contest that we are witnessing is what I am able to
42:09read right now.
42:10Because both the parties, they have finished their calculations because we finished our
42:14elections on April 9.
42:15So we had a long time.
42:16So both the parties have finished their calculations, have got their booth level data.
42:20In front of the camera, both of them have said that LDF says they'll get more than 90.
42:25UDF says they'll get more than 100 seats.
42:27But in reality, off camera, the UDF says they might touch between 80 to 85.
42:32LDF says maybe 75 to 80.
42:34So that's the numbers that they've given us off camera.
42:37So I think it's a tight contest that's taking place.
42:39If there was no minority consolidation that's taken place in favor of the Congress-led UDF.
42:44I know, they're bringing our…
42:45But yes, after all the calculation, all eyes are on the exit polls.
42:48Ishibi, stay with me.
42:49Our in-house sophologist wants to quickly chime in.
42:52Go ahead.
42:52Go ahead.
42:52Exit polls for Kerala next.
42:54No, no.
42:55With Kerala, I'm not churning numbers.
42:57All I'm saying is Congress is just eight to seven seats above the halfway mark.
43:01Resorts in Bangalore and Hyderabad will be definitely booked for these netas because the
43:04Congress government is here.
43:05They want to ensure that these seven…
43:07You are giving Kerala to Congress, huh?
43:11Yes, yes.
43:12UDF is quite… UDF is ahead like Shibi said.
43:15I love the confidence.
43:16Nana, I am in awe.
43:19I am in awe.
43:20It's amazing that on the eve of exit polls, the way you're belting out, this is what's going to happen.
43:25They're already reserving rooms.
43:26Be ready.
43:27Be ready.
43:27Play it out.
43:29Well done, Naga.
43:30I have to say.
43:31This takes a certain amount of bravery or foolhardiness.
43:34Yes, but I don't know which one is it.
43:36Either way, we have it on camera recorded live.
43:39Yeah, yeah.
43:39Shibi, come in.
43:41Wait, Naga one second.
43:42Next, Shibi, come in.
43:43Yeah.
43:43Yeah.
43:44No, see the…
43:47No, Naga is right.
43:48If Congress is winning, they're getting maximum 8 or 9 seats more than the margin that's 71.
43:55So, maximum 80, 85, I don't think they'll go beyond 85 at this point.
43:59And I say that also because after delimitation, LDF has not lost, got anything less than 68.
44:05So, to 40 seats are sure seats of LDF.
44:08So, if they have managed to get some share of minority votes, then I think there is a possibility
44:13that LDF can still come back to power.
44:15But I am also giving maybe a slight edge to UDF because 10 years is too much of a long
44:19time.
44:19The same, Chief Minister, another chance.
44:22Pinaray Vijayan has already broken that record.
44:25And then he could be coming back for a third time.
44:27And even if not, you know, he's giving it a tough fight.
44:30You would have thought anti-incumbency seeped in.
44:32Not at all.
44:33The first thing that hit me when I went to Kerala is that every big billboard, every poster,
44:38every picture of the LDF has only one person's face.
44:42Pinaray Vijayan.
44:43This election is being fought on his face.
44:45Anti-incumbency or not, he's being very clear that, you know,
44:48I have done well for the state of Kerala.
44:50And so, it's with my report card that we'll go to the people.
44:53You know, I'm going to go to Puducherry as well.
44:55And Naga, I will come back to you because that seems…
44:57You know, even though I'm way far from Puducherry,
44:59I still think BJP has an edge.
45:01But let me put my neck out.
45:03Now, where Assam is concerned.
45:05Briefly, with what I have covered Assam, I would think that BJP has a clear edge.
45:09So, there you go Naga, you have competition.
45:11No, no, no. You have to give numbers like Naga.
45:13Better than 2021.
45:14No, no. Numbers I'm not getting.
45:15Better than 2021.
45:16I would think yes.
45:17I would think yes. Better than 2021.
45:20But the bigger question is West Bengal.
45:22The bigger question is West Bengal.
45:23West Bengal is already discussed. Sorry, too late.
45:25It is already discussed and we are not…
45:27West Bengal is, you know, for any sophologist,
45:30has been the waterloo of sophologists.
45:32So, for all of us or rather me who spent actually good 10-12 days
45:35to come out and give a number on West Bengal,
45:38I'm not as brave as you Naga.
45:39I'm not venturing there.
45:41But yes, Puducherry, Naga…
45:43Did you travel to Puducherry? No.
45:45Go ahead, Naga.
45:46Go ahead, Naga.
45:49In fact, I have not travelled to Puducherry either because there's so much of action going on in Tamil Nadu.
45:53But our colleagues did travel what they had to say and what we have spoken to Netas.
45:57Because usually DMK and AIDMK are also the party contesting in Puducherry also.
46:02I, again, once again feel that NDA has an edge there.
46:05The sitting Chief Minister would come back most likely.
46:08And it's a small, small union territory with minimum seats, so 30 odd seats.
46:13So, it's a very small battle with even constituencies of 25,000 to 30,000 voters as small as that.
46:19So, both Congress and BJP were campaigning quite well.
46:23I feel that the NDA has the edge there with the sitting Chief Minister, Rangaswami.
46:28You know, what astounded me of Puducherry is the voter turnout one.
46:30Second, as much as we spoke of the Vijay factor in Tamil Nadu, it's very much there in Puducherry also.
46:33In Puducherry as well.
46:34Absolutely.
46:35All right, okay, I'm going to quickly wrap the show, but all three of you do come in.
46:40What is it that you'd be keenly watching tomorrow in exit polls?
46:43Is there a number?
46:44Is there one particular aspect that you'd be clued into?
46:47You'd really want to know.
46:48And I can already hear it, how much Vijay gets in terms of vote percentage.
46:52No, so I'll go further from that.
46:54I'll take one step further and say that I'm looking largely at West Tamil Nadu and which way that goes.
46:58Congo Belt.
46:59Okay, and you think that would be the deciding factor?
47:01Yes, because if the AIDMK doesn't hold on to that, it's very tough.
47:03Okay, that's for Tamil Nadu. Go ahead, Naga.
47:06In fact, I would agree with Akshita.
47:08If Congo Belt region is, if AIDMK is defeated, then it's a large question on the party itself.
47:14Who after EPS?
47:15There will be questions on EPS's leadership because he's lost 21 election, 24 Lok Sabha and now 26 assembly.
47:21So there will be questions on his leadership also.
47:24So that way we'll decide which way the AIDMK would be going.
47:27And the next big point would also be the alliance's equation.
47:32So will Congress look at going with TVK next for Lok Sabha?
47:36Or will BJP again once again break ties with AIDMK?
47:39So this election is crucial for all the parties in Tamil Nadu and not just for chemistry reasons, for arithmetic
47:45reasons.
47:46So everyone wants the numbers for the crucial 2029 poll.
47:49So this election would be a direction for that.
47:51You know, it should be coming to you, but I do think this is, for certain political personalities, these elections
47:56are a make or break elections.
47:58Where Mamata Banerjee's concern in West Bengal, it is, you know, the phenomena of Mamata Banerjee.
48:03As much Prime Minister Modi is a phenomena across the country.
48:06Mamata Banerjee has been a phenomena in West Bengal.
48:09And this election is her toughest fight.
48:12Where you look at, you know, Kerala, I would think Pinarai Vijayan.
48:15You spoke about Pinarai Vijayan.
48:16How this battle will practically matter so much.
48:19One of the biggest, you know, for Pinarai Vijayan and whether he creates history or not.
48:24And in Tamil Nadu, you have to EPS, I would think.
48:27EPS.
48:27It is EPS.
48:28EPS and Vijay.
48:29But Vijay is a newcomer, yes, and it would decide where he stands.
48:32Yeah, because I don't see him being able to sustain till the next election if he doesn't manage to really
48:36do well.
48:36But for EPS, if it's not now, it's never.
48:39Because he's not been able to perform electorally at all.
48:42Right.
48:42Do you concur, Naga?
48:44If not now, never for EPS.
48:45And these are the three big personalities who've got a lot more, you know, at stake than others.
48:52Absolutely.
48:53EPS has all his eggs in one basket in this election.
48:56So, eyes on him also.
48:57Because the next 25 years, it would be Uday Nidhi in DMK, Vijay in TVK.
49:02And the NDA will have to find its new phase, who's a young phase, who can battle it out with
49:06these two.
49:07Well, you're right there.
49:08And I would think even Hamantha Biswasarma, because this is for the first time,
49:11it is Hamantha Biswasarma on the ticket in Assam.
49:14With that, alright, we don't have to wait long, Naga.
49:17At least, where exit polls are concerned, we've had an in-house sophologist already belting out Naga.
49:23With that, thank you for joining us.
49:25And do stay tuned.
49:26Exit polls tomorrow, 5 p.m.
49:28But no, you'll tune in at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
49:30Maria and I will start as West Bengal polls in its second phase.
49:35142 seats spread across seven districts.
49:37We'll see you right here at the India Today studio.
49:40I basically went blank to Mark Zee Foundation and this is Hookbug.
49:40Take what time?
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