The BJP delivered a stunning performance in the Falta Assembly repoll on Sunday as Debangshu Panda cruised to victory with a margin exceeding one lakh votes, turning what was once seen as a Trinamool Congress stronghold into a major political battleground. According to figures released by the Election Commission of India, Panda secured 1,48,749 votes in a result that has intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and the TMC in West Bengal.
The scale of the defeat proved particularly embarrassing for the Trinamool Congress in the Diamond Harbour belt, an area often projected by the party as a showcase of its organisational strength. TMC candidate Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth place after earlier announcing his withdrawal from the contest, adding to the dramatic nature of the outcome.
TMC alleges irregularities in counting
According to News18, soon after the results were declared, senior TMC leaders launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission and the central forces deployed during the repoll. Mamata Banerjee alleged that the counting process had been manipulated and claimed opposition workers were intimidated during and after polling.
She accused authorities of allowing votes to be “looted” and alleged that EVMs were rigged during counting. Banerjee also claimed she was pushed out of the counting center and said TMC workers across the state had faced terror and harassment following the May 4 results.
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Abhishek Banerjee seeks CCTV audit
According to News18, TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee also raised questions over the counting process and pointed to what he described as “glaring inconsistencies” in the conduct of the repoll. In a post on X, he questioned how all 21 rounds of counting were completed by mid-afternoon on Sunday when the earlier counting exercise had moved significantly slower.
He further alleged that more than a thousand TMC workers had been forced to flee their homes in recent days and accused officials of failing to act despite reports of vandalism and intimidation during the Model Code of Conduct period.
Banerjee also demanded an independent CCTV audit of the counting process, alleging that counting agents from opposition parties were removed from the venue while BJP representatives remained present.
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BJP calls result a rejection of TMC politics
According to News18, West Bengal BJP leaders celebrated the result as a major political breakthrough. Suvendu Adhikari said the people of Falta had voted decisively against what he described as years of corruption, intimidation, and syndicate politics under the TMC.
Calling the result the beginning of a larger political shift in Bengal, Adhikari said the BJP would repay the trust of Falta voters through development and governance.
