BJP won the Falta Assembly repoll in West Bengal by over one lakh votes, defeating the TMC in its traditional stronghold.
PM Narendra Modi called the result a “victory of democracy” and praised BJP workers across Bengal.
The repoll was ordered after allegations of irregularities during the original election held in April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the BJP’s massive victory in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly repoll after the party defeated the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) by more than one lakh votes in a constituency long considered a TMC stronghold.
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda secured 1,49,666 votes, defeating CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi by a margin of 1,09,021 votes.
Kurmi polled 40,645 votes, while Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla finished third with 10,084 votes.
TMC candidate Jahangir Khan came fourth with just 7,783 votes and forfeited his deposit.
BJP Vote Share Surges, TMC Suffers Collapse
The BJP recorded a massive jump in vote share, securing 71.2% of the votes in the repoll compared to 36.75% in the 2021 Assembly election.
The TMC’s vote share, meanwhile, reportedly crashed to just 3.7%, marking one of the party’s worst performances in the region.
The Falta Assembly constituency is considered politically significant as it falls within the Diamond Harbour belt, an area traditionally seen as a TMC bastion since 2011.
‘Victory of Democracy’
In a post on X, Modi described the verdict as a win for democracy and accused opponents of relying on intimidation politics.
“People of Falta have spoken! Democracy has won and intimidation has lost,” Modi said while congratulating Debangshu Panda on his victory.
The Prime Minister said the result reflected growing public support for the BJP in West Bengal and praised party workers for their efforts.
Why Was the Repoll Held?
The Election Commission of India had ordered fresh polling in all 285 booths of the constituency on May 21 following complaints during the April 29 election.
Allegations included the use of perfume-like substances, suspicious ink marks and adhesive tapes on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The repoll was conducted under heavy security deployment.
Two days before voting, Jahangir Khan announced he was stepping aside “for Falta’s interest”, although his name remained on the ballot as nominations could no longer be withdrawn.
Residents reportedly observed minimal visible campaigning by the TMC during the repoll.
Suvendu Adhikari Attacks TMC
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the result as proof that voters had finally been allowed to vote freely.
In a post on X, Adhikari alleged that the TMC had abused state machinery and promoted intimidation politics.
Without directly naming anyone, he also appeared to target TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee while referring to a “fraudster who parachuted in and claimed the title of commander”.
Calling the result “just the beginning”, Adhikari claimed the people of West Bengal were preparing for a larger political shift against the ruling party.
