Falta counting: BJP candidate ahead by 14,514 votes; Trinamool remains in 4th position
Kolkata, May 24
After the fifth round of counting for the repolling of Falta Assembly constituency on Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Debangshu Panda is comfortably ahead of his closest opponents by a margin of 14,514 votes
As per figures available from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, after the fifth round of counting, the total number of votes polled by the BJP candidate was 30,562, followed by CPI(M)'s Sambhunath Kurmi at 16,048 and Congress candidate Abdur Razzak at 3,510 votes.
Trinamool Congress candidate, Jahangir Khan, is placed in the fourth position, securing 1,685 votes at the end of the fifth round of counting
Altogether, there will be 21 rounds of counting, and the result is expected to be clearer by 1 p.m.
This is the first time since the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections that CPI(M) has surpassed Trinamool Congress in securing votes.
In fact, political observers feel that while the victory of the BJP candidate in the Falta repoll was a foregone conclusion, the main curiosity was about who would be in second position. "While there was a possibility of the CPI(M) candidate getting more votes than the Trinamool Congress candidate, it was quite unexpected that even the Congress candidate would surpass the Trinamool Congress candidate in terms of the votes secured," they said.
Now, with the victory of the BJP candidate almost certain after the fifth round of counting, the total tally of the ruling party in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly will be 208, followed by Trinamool Congress at 80, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and Congress at two each; and CPI(M) and All India Secular Front at one each.
The counting was being held amid tight security.
As the BJP candidate's lead over other contestants was increasing, the party workers went into a celebratory mood.
The Trinamool candidate, Jahangir Khan, and his party agents were absent from the counting centre. Khan had announced his withdrawal from the fray even though he was in the race till the repolling was announced.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's surprising to see CPI(M) getting more votes than TMC in a bypoll. Shows how people are fed up with the ruling party. But CPI(M) should not take this as revival—they need to rebuild trust.
TMC candidate not even present at counting centre? That says it all. They've given up on Falta. But honestly, this margin is huge for a repoll—BJP is clearly gaining ground in Bengal, whether we like it or not.
As an outsider watching Indian politics, this is fascinating. The fact that CPI(M) beat TMC in a seat where they were once dominant shows how fractured Bengal's opposition is. But 21 rounds of counting? That seems excessive.
I wish people would look beyond party lines. This is a repoll—meaning the original election had issues. Whether BJP or TMC, transparent elections matter more than who wins. We need to fix the system first. 🙏
The Congress candidate getting only 3,500 votes shows how irrelevant they've become in Bengal. And TMC finishing fourth? That's a massive blow to Mamata Banerjee's credibility. Bengal voters are clearly sending a message.
M Michael C Respect to We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.