Bhubaneswar, May 4 -- Counting of votes for the crucial West Bengal Assembly elections began at 8 am on Monday amid unprecedented security arrangements, with the state witnessing one of its fiercest electoral battles in recent years. The counting process started with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting from 8:30 am, with round-wise updates expected through the Election Commission's official platform.

West Bengal remains the most closely watched battleground among the five states and Union Territory that went to polls, as the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) seeks another term under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while the BJP pushes aggressively for a historic breakthrough.

The political atmosphere remained charged till the final ho...