BJP candidate Debangshu Panda opened a lead of over 76,000 votes in the Falta Assembly repoll
May 24, 2026: Debangshu Panda surged ahead in the Falta Assembly repoll on Sunday, securing a massive lead of more than 76,000 votes and dealing a major setback to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress in the politically significant Diamond Harbour belt. After 16 rounds of counting, Panda had secured 1,11,270 votes, far ahead of CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi, who stood second with 34,873 votes. Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla received 9,284 votes, while TMC nominee Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth place with only 5,319 votes.
The scale of the BJP’s lead has transformed the repoll into a major political development in West Bengal politics. Falta had long been viewed as a stronghold of the TMC within the influential Diamond Harbour region, known for the party’s strong organisational network. However, the political atmosphere shifted dramatically ahead of polling after Jahangir Khan unexpectedly withdrew from active campaigning just two days before voting. Khan later claimed he stepped aside “for Falta’s interest” and referred to promises of a special development package from Suvendu Adhikari as one of the reasons behind his move.
The controversy surrounding the seat began after the April 29 polling, when allegations emerged regarding suspicious substances, unusual ink markings and adhesive tapes found on EVMs at several booths. Questions were also raised over alleged tampering of web-camera footage, prompting the Election Commission of India to order a repoll across all 285 booths. Conducted under heavy security with nearly 35 companies of central forces deployed, the repoll recorded more than 87 percent voter turnout among the constituency’s 2.36 lakh voters.