Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is well past the majority mark in Bengal with the BJP not far behind, in early leads as votes are being counted for state elections. The Trinamool is at 157 while the BJP is at 129, reports NDTV.

The Chief Minister, however, is trailing in Nandigram, where she is fighting a prestige battle against her former lieutenant-turned-BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

In 294-seat Bengal, the majority mark is at 148.

The BJP has made gains in the state since the 2019 national elections, when it stunned the Trinamool by winning 18 of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats.

In grim news for Mamata Banerjee, her party seems to have lost more ground in the state since.

Elections could not be held for two constituencies, Shamsherganj and Jangipur, due to the death of candidates.

As Bengal voted in a record eight rounds that ended on Thursday, India saw a steep rise in daily Covid cases and deaths.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders and Mamata Baerjee held crowded campaigns where safety rules like masks and distancing were discarded.

The BJP staked its top leaders, resources and wherewithal in Bengal, determined to snatch the key state from two-term Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.