Will win over 200 seats in West Bengal, Amit Shah confident of BJPs victory

New Delhi: A day after the first phase of polling was conducted in the eastern states of West Bengal and Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah exuded confidence of a resounding victory by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

The BJP leader said, as per the feedback received from the ground, his party will win 26 of the 30 seats that polled in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Further, he also said the party is confident of a clear mandate itself in Assam as well, and that they will win 37 of the 47 Assembly seats.

Amit Shah informed that the voting process was largely peaceful and that high voter turnouts show a positive sign.

He expressed his gratitude to the voters for turning up in large numbers and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for the peaceful conduct of elections in Assam and violence-prone West Bengal.

He exuded confidence that the saffron party will be able to register a huge electoral win in West Bengal by winning more than 200 seats in the 294-member Assembly and also improve its tally in Assam.

Shah also appealed to the people of Nandigram, from where West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is contesting the polls, to vote for change and a better future of the state.

Rejecting the TMC's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh, he said the visit is to strengthen bilateral ties and has nothing to do with elections.

Meanwhile, polling in the remaining seven phases in West Bengal will take place on April 1 (30 seats), April 6 (31 seats), April 10 (44 seats), April 17 (45 seats), April 22 (43 seats), April 26 (36 seat) and April 29 (35 seats). While, polling for the next two phases in Assam will be held on April 1 and April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.