India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has defeated by the incumbent, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party in India’s West Bengal State but still, make gains. Munia Iffat reports.

• Amid record COVID19 deaths and cases, an election held in India where the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has failed to win a key state.

• Though with aggressive campaigning and massive rallies BJP targeted West Bengal heavily Mamata Banerjee is set to be the chief of West Bengal for the third time after Trinamool Congress party (TMC) won a two-third majority.

• Election commission officials told TMC is taking more than 200 seats in the 294-seat state assembly.

• Despite the defeat, by winning 75 seats BJP made gains and became the main opposition party.

• Modi congratulated Mamata Banarjee in a tweet on Sunday evening. He wrote, “The center will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal Government to fulfill people’s aspirations and also to overcome the COVID19 pandemic.”

Most of the votes in the state elections were cast in March but polling in some constituencies continued through April, just as India started detecting thousands of fresh coronavirus infections every day.