<p>Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday exuded confidence that the BJP will trounce Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and return to power in Assam with a thumping majority, predicting that his party will win at least 26 seats in Bengal and 37 in Assam in the first phase of polling.<br /><br />Shah also said that Bengal and Assam, which are known for poll violence, did not report any untoward incident throughout the first phase of polling on Saturday and none was killed.<br /><br />Counting on the high voter turnout -- 84 per cent in Bengal and 79 per cent in Assam -- in the first phase, the Home Minister reiterated that his party will win over 200 out of 294 seats in West Bengal.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mamata-not-interested-in-bengals-development-says-adityanath-966269.html">Mamata not interested in Bengal's development, says Adityanath</a></strong><br /><br />"In West Bengal, we will win more than 26 out of 30 seats which went to polls in the first phase on Saturday, while in Assam, we will emerge victorious in more than 37 out of 47 seats that went to polls...I have been repeatedly saying that we will win more than 200 seats and form the government," he said during a press conference.<br /><br />Claiming that the large voter turnout in Bengal meant that people want change, he said anti-incumbency can be encashed only when there is a credible alternative and the BJP is confident of overthrowing the Trinamool government.<br /><br />"Bengal is now immersed in an atmosphere of hopelessness. After 27 years of Communist rule, people thought the Trinamool will bring a new hope. However, only the election symbol and party's name changed," he said adding BJP has now raised the hope of a better Bengal with its vision of 'Sonar Bangla'(Golden Bengal).</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west-bengal-assembly-elections-live-news-updates-congress-trinamool-congress-bjp-dilip-ghosh-narendra-modi-mamata-banerjee-amit-shah-suvendu-adhikari-nandigram-left-front-967467.html"><strong>Follow live coverage of Bengal polls here</strong></a><br /><br />When asked how he can be sure of the BJP getting over 200 seats in Bengal, Shah shot back saying the media in Delhi has never been able to assess change and that they should be more active on the ground. They could not see the change in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Assam earlier, he added.<br /><br />Asked about Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking support in Nandigram, he said everybody has a right to seek support. "There is nothing special about Nandigram, it is just a seat for us but if Nandigram does it (vote for BJP), then there will be 'poriborton' (transformation). If the Nandigram electorate decide to go for 'poriborton', the whole of Bengal will also see a 'poriborton'," he said.<br /><br />On Trinamool Congress' allegation against BJP leader Mukul Roy that he was teaching a leader on how to deal with the Election Commission, Shah said one should listen to the conversation properly and whatever demand was discussed, it has been given in writing. "How and why were the phones tapped? That's the question everyone should ask the Trinamool," he added.<br /><br />He also claimed that not a single Trinamool election agent has filed a complaint against the polling process and it showed that they could not indulge in malpractices.<br /><br />Responding to a question about the arrest of a Trinamool leader Chhatradhar Mahato in a 2009 case, Shah said he was free till Saturday when elections concluded.<br /><br />In Assam, he said people have shown their confidence in BJP due to development works and the party is confident of winning comfortably. </p>.<p>Separately, he refused to speak about a meeting he had with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel in Ahmedabad on Saturday, saying such things are "not made public". He did not deny that the meeting took place, which came against the backdrop of the political controversy surrounding the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.</p>
<p>Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday exuded confidence that the BJP will trounce Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and return to power in Assam with a thumping majority, predicting that his party will win at least 26 seats in Bengal and 37 in Assam in the first phase of polling.<br /><br />Shah also said that Bengal and Assam, which are known for poll violence, did not report any untoward incident throughout the first phase of polling on Saturday and none was killed.<br /><br />Counting on the high voter turnout -- 84 per cent in Bengal and 79 per cent in Assam -- in the first phase, the Home Minister reiterated that his party will win over 200 out of 294 seats in West Bengal.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mamata-not-interested-in-bengals-development-says-adityanath-966269.html">Mamata not interested in Bengal's development, says Adityanath</a></strong><br /><br />"In West Bengal, we will win more than 26 out of 30 seats which went to polls in the first phase on Saturday, while in Assam, we will emerge victorious in more than 37 out of 47 seats that went to polls...I have been repeatedly saying that we will win more than 200 seats and form the government," he said during a press conference.<br /><br />Claiming that the large voter turnout in Bengal meant that people want change, he said anti-incumbency can be encashed only when there is a credible alternative and the BJP is confident of overthrowing the Trinamool government.<br /><br />"Bengal is now immersed in an atmosphere of hopelessness. After 27 years of Communist rule, people thought the Trinamool will bring a new hope. However, only the election symbol and party's name changed," he said adding BJP has now raised the hope of a better Bengal with its vision of 'Sonar Bangla'(Golden Bengal).</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west-bengal-assembly-elections-live-news-updates-congress-trinamool-congress-bjp-dilip-ghosh-narendra-modi-mamata-banerjee-amit-shah-suvendu-adhikari-nandigram-left-front-967467.html"><strong>Follow live coverage of Bengal polls here</strong></a><br /><br />When asked how he can be sure of the BJP getting over 200 seats in Bengal, Shah shot back saying the media in Delhi has never been able to assess change and that they should be more active on the ground. They could not see the change in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Assam earlier, he added.<br /><br />Asked about Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking support in Nandigram, he said everybody has a right to seek support. "There is nothing special about Nandigram, it is just a seat for us but if Nandigram does it (vote for BJP), then there will be 'poriborton' (transformation). If the Nandigram electorate decide to go for 'poriborton', the whole of Bengal will also see a 'poriborton'," he said.<br /><br />On Trinamool Congress' allegation against BJP leader Mukul Roy that he was teaching a leader on how to deal with the Election Commission, Shah said one should listen to the conversation properly and whatever demand was discussed, it has been given in writing. "How and why were the phones tapped? That's the question everyone should ask the Trinamool," he added.<br /><br />He also claimed that not a single Trinamool election agent has filed a complaint against the polling process and it showed that they could not indulge in malpractices.<br /><br />Responding to a question about the arrest of a Trinamool leader Chhatradhar Mahato in a 2009 case, Shah said he was free till Saturday when elections concluded.<br /><br />In Assam, he said people have shown their confidence in BJP due to development works and the party is confident of winning comfortably. </p>.<p>Separately, he refused to speak about a meeting he had with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel in Ahmedabad on Saturday, saying such things are "not made public". He did not deny that the meeting took place, which came against the backdrop of the political controversy surrounding the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.</p>
