BJP's 'look-and-east-policy' bores fruitful outcome in WB, Odisha

The BJP made deep inroads in West Bengal and Odisha in the Lok Sabha with its "Look East policy' penetrating the two greenfield states for the party.

The BJP led in 17 out of 42 seats in West Bengal and and 7 out of 21 in Odisha.

The ruling Trinamool Congress has suffered a setback leading only in 25 seats, a loss of 9 sets in comparison to 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 general elections, BJP had won only two in West Bengal and one in Odisha.

BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo is ahead of actress-turned-politician Moon Moon Sen in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of over 69,749 votes. Last year, Supriyo won this seat with a lead of 70,480 votes.

In Odisha, BJD is leading in 14 seats out of 21, BJP ahead on 7. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 10 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat while Naveen Patnaik's BJD had won 117 assembly seats and 20 Lok Sabha seats.

BJP's heavyweight candidate Aparajita Sarangi, a former IAS orficer, is leading with a margin of 11,201 votes sitting MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo of BJD in Bhubaneswar.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra is leading with 1,970 votes against BJD's Panaki Mishra in Puri.

It is worth mentioning that six months ago, BJP national president Amit Shah predicted winning 23 sets of 42 for his party in West Bengal. Since then, he kept claiming in every election rally that his party will be surging ahead in Bengal with almost two dozen seats, which is more than half of total 42 in the state. And no wonder why Prime Minister Modi held around 17 rallies in West Bengal including one at the historic Brigade Parade Ground in April.

Earlier this month, Shah repeated the same tally during a press conference in the national capital, which was held in the presence of Prime Minister Modi.

While the Prime Minister had accused Mamata of "despotic rule" in the state and turning democracy into "goondacracy", Mamata equated him with Duryodhana, the main villain of the epic Mahabharat.

As Odisha and West Bengal were among the two keenly watched states in this Lok Sabha elections, majority of party workers and supporters of TMC and BJD exchange blows with BJP's candidates.