“Democracy won, intimidation lost”: PM Modi hails BJP’s landslide victory in Falta repoll

Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the BJP’s emphatic victory in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly repoll after the party routed the Trinamool Congress by more than one lakh votes in a constituency long considered a TMC bastion.

The BJP’s Debangshu Panda secured 1,49,666 votes, defeating CPI(M)’s Sambhu Nath Kurmi by a margin of 1,09,021 votes. Kurmi received 40,645 votes, while Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla finished third with 10,084 votes.

TMC nominee Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth place with only 7,783 votes and lost his deposit, marking a dramatic reversal for the ruling party, which had held the seat since 2011.

The BJP’s vote share surged to 71.2 per cent in the repoll from 36.75 per cent in 2021, while the TMC’s support collapsed to 3.7 per cent.

Reacting to the result on X, Modi described the outcome as a victory for democracy and a sign of growing support for the BJP in the state.

“People of Falta have spoken. Democracy has won and intimidation has lost,” he wrote, congratulating Panda for the record victory and praising BJP workers for their efforts.

The result dealt a significant blow to the TMC in the Diamond Harbour belt, traditionally seen as one of the party’s strongholds. The constituency had previously backed the TMC comfortably in the 2021 election.

The repoll was ordered after complaints surrounding the April 29 election, including allegations involving EVM handling and polling irregularities. Fresh voting across all booths took place under heightened security arrangements.

Suvendu Adhikari described the result as evidence that voters had finally been able to cast ballots freely and called the verdict “just the beginning,” claiming it reflected wider political sentiment against the TMC. Panda, after his win, thanked voters and said people had finally been able to vote “freely and fairly.”