Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the BJP’s emphatic victory in the Falta Assembly repoll in West Bengal after the party routed the Trinamool Congress by a margin of more than one lakh votes in a constituency long considered a TMC bastion.
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda won with 1,49,666 votes, defeating CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi by 1,09,021 votes. Kurmi secured 40,645 votes, while Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla came third with 10,084 votes.
TMC candidate Jahangir Khan finished fourth with just 7,783 votes and lost his deposit, marking a dramatic setback for the ruling party in a seat it had held since 2011.
The BJP registered a vote share of 71.2 per cent in the repoll, a sharp rise from its 36.75 per cent tally in the 2021 Assembly election. In contrast, the TMC’s vote share plunged to 3.7 per cent.
PM Modi hails BJP victory
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi described the outcome as a victory for democracy and a reflection of growing support for the BJP in West Bengal.
“People of Falta have spoken! Democracy has won and intimidation has lost. Congratulations to Shri Debangshu Panda Ji for winning in Falta by a record margin,” he wrote.
“It indicates the unwavering faith of the people of West Bengal towards the BJP. People are seeing the exceptional work of the West Bengal Government across sectors and thus have decided to further bless us,” he added.
The Prime Minister also congratulated BJP workers across the state for their efforts and said the party would continue working for Bengal’s development.
Major setback for TMC
Falta has long been considered part of the TMC’s influential Diamond Harbour political belt. The party had retained the seat comfortably in 2021 with nearly 57 per cent of the vote.
The repoll, however, dramatically reshaped the electoral picture.
The Election Commission had ordered fresh voting across all 285 booths on May 21 following complaints during the April 29 election over the alleged use of perfume-like substances, ink marks and adhesive tapes on EVMs.
Polling was conducted under heavy security arrangements.
Two days before the repoll, Jahangir Khan announced that he was stepping aside “for Falta’s interest”, though his name remained on the EVM as nominations could no longer be withdrawn.
Residents reported little visible TMC campaigning during the repoll, with party offices largely inactive and Khan absent from public appearances.
Adhikari calls result ‘just the beginning’
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the verdict showed that voters had finally been able to exercise their franchise freely.
In a post on X, Adhikari said he bowed “in salutation to the people of Falta” for delivering a “resounding mandate” to the BJP and noted that the one-lakh-vote victory target he had set had been surpassed.
He accused the TMC of functioning as a “mafia company” that misused state machinery and encouraged intimidation.
Without naming anyone directly, Adhikari also appeared to take a swipe at TMC general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, referring to a “fraudster who parachuted in and claimed the title of commander”.
Calling the result “just the beginning”, he claimed the people of West Bengal were preparing for a broader rejection of the TMC.
After his victory, Panda thanked voters and said, “People have been able to cast their vote freely and fairly. I want to thank the people of Falta for the victory.”
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