New Delhi: In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surprised many by making deep inroads into West Bengal and Odisha, considered bastions of the Trinamool Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), respectively.
The BJP was leading in 18 of the 42 seats in West Bengal, and 9 out of 21 parliamentary constituencies in Odisha.
In the 2014, the BJP had won only two parliamentary seats -- Asansol and Darjeeling -- in West Bengal. On the other hand, the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress was heading for a major setback by leading in only 23 seats. In 2014, it had won 34 seats.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist, which had won two seats in 2014, was staring at a wipe-out. The Congress, which had won four seats in 2014, was leading in one seat.
In Odisha, where the BJP had won one seat in 2014, was leading in nine out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats. The BJD may suffer a setback of eight seats as it was leading in 12 seats.
However, the BJP was unable to make any inroad into Kerala despite riding the Sabarimala temple issue. The Congress-led UDF was leading in 15 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state.