Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party has registered a sweeping victory in the Falta Assembly seat, with its candidate Debangshu Panda defeating CPI(M) candidate Shambhu Nath Kurmi by a margin of 1,09,021 votes. The result has taken the BJP’s total tally in the West Bengal Assembly to 208 seats, further strengthening its position after a historic electoral performance in the state.
Falta had become one of the most closely watched seats after the Election Commission ordered repolling following complaints related to the April 29 polling process. According to the report, allegations had surfaced from several polling booths that perfume like substances and adhesive tape had been found on EVMs. After these complaints, the Election Commission ordered repolling in the constituency.
The fresh polling took place on May 21 and recorded a turnout of 86.11 per cent. The contest was initially expected to be between BJP candidate Debangshu Panda and Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan. However, Khan withdrew from the contest shortly before the repoll, changing the political equation in the seat. After his withdrawal, five candidates remained in the fray, and the main contest shifted between the BJP and the CPI(M).
Panda’s victory margin of more than one lakh votes is being seen as a major political message from the constituency. In the 2021 Assembly election, the Falta seat was won by TMC candidate Shankar Kumar Naskar. The latest result therefore marks a significant shift in the constituency’s political direction.
The remaining 293 Assembly results had already been declared on May 4. In those results, the BJP won 207 seats, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats. With Falta now added to its tally, the BJP’s strength has gone up to 208 in the 294 member Assembly.
The result also comes against the backdrop of a larger political change in West Bengal, where the BJP has ended 15 years of TMC rule. For the ruling party, the Falta result will be presented as another sign of public support. For the TMC, it is likely to deepen internal review and political questions over its ground level organisation.
Falta’s verdict, therefore, is not just a local result. It has become a symbol of Bengal’s changed political balance and may influence the next phase of strategy for both the BJP and the opposition.