NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a significant victory in the Falta assembly repoll in West Bengal, with candidate Debangshu Panda receiving over 149,000 votes, a considerable lead over his closest rival. The counting results were released on Sunday, following the repoll conducted on May 21. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Panda garnered 149,666 votes, while Sambhu Nath Kurmi of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) managed only 40,645 votes.
This win elevates the BJP’s total seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly to 207. Originally, the party had won 207 seats, but Suvendu Adhikari—the newly appointed BJP Chief Minister—vacated his Nandigram seat to retain Bhabanipore, where he triumphed against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee.
The BJP’s victory in Falta holds particular significance given the constituency’s historical dominance by the TMC, which previously won in three straight assembly elections from 2011 to 2021. The constituency falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat in South 24 Parganas district, represented by TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, who has secured three consecutive victories since 2014.
On May 2, just two days before the vote counting, Abhishek challenged the “Union of India” to attempt to disrupt his so-called “Diamond Harbour model” of leadership. Following the TMC’s defeat, the new BJP-led government has reduced his security detail. Additionally, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has issued notices for alleged building violations related to properties linked to him.
In another layer of the electoral battle, the TMC candidate Jahangir Khan and police officer Ajay Pal Sharma, deployed as an election observer, became embroiled in controversy. Sharma, dubbed “Singham” by the media after a popular film character, was seen in a viral video warning Khan’s family. In response, Khan referred to himself as “Pushpa,” a character from another film, indicating a shift in the political narrative.
Days before the election, Khan announced he would withdraw from the race, citing assurances from CM Adhikari of a “special package” for the constituency, though this announcement followed the filing of FIRs against him. Despite his withdrawal, his name remained on the ballot due to procedural deadlines, and Khan ultimately finished fourth, receiving just 7,783 votes amid a six-candidate field, alongside the NOTA (None of the Above) option.
The ECI ordered the repoll across all 285 booths in Falta after allegations of widespread irregularities surfaced during the initial election phase on April 29, including the discovery of tapes obstructing the names of BJP candidates on the voting machines.
