'Bengal Chose Democracy Over Fear’: Anupamaa's Rupali Ganguly Reacts As Bharatiya Janata Party's Lead In West Bengal, Takes A Dig At Trinamool Congress

Anupamaa actress Rupali Ganguly was born in Kolkata into a Bengali Hindu family. As the results of the West Bengal Assembly Elections were awaited, the television actress shared a statement on social media as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to be in the lead.

Rupali tweeted, “Bengal chose democracy over fear,” seemingly hinting at BJP as representing democracy and Mamata Banerjee’s party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), as representing fear.

She also thanked the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel for ensuring peaceful voting in Kolkata. She wrote, “A big thank you to our brave CRPF personnel who ensured peaceful voting despite every challenge. Jai CRPF.”

Her statement came following reports of BJP leading in West Bengal. According to a report by Hindustan Times, both BJP and TMC had won one seat each at that stage. BJP candidate Shashi Panja won from the Monteswar seat, while TMC’s Reyat Hossain Sarkar secured victory from the Bhagawangola seat. Early trends were favouring the BJP, with reports suggesting that the party had crossed the halfway mark in initial leads. At that point, BJP was leading in 195 seats, while TMC was ahead in 82 seats.

In May 2024, Rupali officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in New Delhi, marking the beginning of her political journey. Speaking on the occasion, she expressed admiration for the government’s development agenda and said, “When I see this ‘Mahayagya’ of development, I feel that I should also take part in this… I need your blessings and support so that whatever I do, I do it right and good.”

The counting of votes in West Bengal Assembly Elections began at 8 a.m. amid tight security arrangements across counting centres. The process typically takes several hours, as multiple rounds of counting are conducted for each constituency. Initial trends usually emerge by late morning, while clearer leads are established by the afternoon. The final results are generally expected by the evening, although the exact timing can vary depending on the pace of counting and any recounts or delays.