Falta Election Result Updates: BJP wins by ‘record margin’ of over 1 lakh votes, PM Modi congratulates Debangshu Panda

Falta Election Result Updates: BJP candidate Debangshu Panda on Sunday secured a big win on the Falta seat in the West Bengal Assembly, taking the party's tally to 208 seats in the House. The counting of votes for the Falta assembly constituency repoll in West Bengal began at 8 am on Sunday under tight security. The repoll, ordered after serious irregularities marred the original 29 April polling, has drawn intense scrutiny from across the political spectrum.

PM Modi hails BJP's win in Falta by ‘record margin’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate Debangshu Panda on his huge win in the Falta re-poll.

“People of Falta have spoken! Democracy has won and intimidation has lost. Congratulations to Shri Debangshu Panda Ji for winning in Falta by a record margin. It indicates the unwavering faith of the people of West Bengal towards the BJP. People are seeing the exceptional work of the West Bengal Government across sectors and thus have decided to further bless us,” PM Modi posted on X.

“My compliments to all BJP Karyakartas across West Bengal for their outstanding work. We will keep working for West Bengal’s progress in the times to come,” he added.

BJP wins by over 1 lakh votes

BJP candidate Debangshu Panda on Sunday secured a big win on the Falta seat in the West Bengal Assembly, taking the party's tally to 208 seats in the House.

Panda recorded a massive win with a margin of 1,09,021 votes against Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi as Falta underwent re-polling amid irregularities reported in the polling during the 2nd phase on April 29.

BJP set for clean sweep, Debangshu Panda takes lead

BJP candidate Debangshu Panda surged to an unassailable lead of over 76,000 votes in the Falta assembly repoll on Sunday, turning a constituency once seen as a showcase of TMC's organisational muscle into the site of a political reversal that could resonate far beyond South 24 Parganas.

Panda polled 1,11,270 votes, leading CPI(M)'s Sambhu Nath Kurmi, who secured 34,873 votes. Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla stood third with 9,284 votes, while TMC nominee Jahangir Khan – once among the most talked-about faces of the Falta campaign – slipped to fourth spot with just 5,319 votes.

BJP leading by a massive margin

Debangshu Panda was leading by a massive margin of more than 76,000 votes over his nearest CPI(M) rival after 16 rounds of counting. Only 5 more rounds pending before final result.

15 rounds over: BJP emerges as clear winner

After 15 rounds of counting, Debangshu Panda bagged 1,03,089 votes, leading by 69,673 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi.

BJP ahead with 58,234 votes; 8 rounds pending

Debangshu Panda bagged 87,367 votes, leading by 58,234 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi.

Round 11: BJP ahead with 44,891 votes

After the 11th counting round, Debangshu Panda bagged 72,082 votes, leading by 44,891 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi.

BJP leads with 26,339 after round 7

After the 7th counting round, Debangshu Panda bagged 44,792 votes, leading by 26,339 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi.

BJP's Debangshu Panda maintains strong lead of 19,701

After the sixth counting round, Panda bagged 37,474 votes.

BJP's Debangshu Panda Opens Up 9,000-Vote Lead After Round One

After the first counting round, Panda bagged 9,534 votes, opening up a lead of 9,086 votes over CPI(M) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi. Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan, who had announced two days before the repoll that he would not contest and described it as a personal decision, trailed in third place with 210 votes.

An Election Commission official confirmed to news agency PTI that counting was proceeding without incident. "The counting is progressing peacefully. Adequate security arrangements have been made at the counting centre," the official said.

Why Falta Went to a Repoll: EVM Tampering Allegations and Irregularities

The repoll across all 285 booths of the Falta constituency in South 24 Parganas district was conducted on 21 May, after polling held on 29 April was countermanded following a string of serious allegations.

Complaints emerged from multiple booths alleging that perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes had been applied to EVMs during the original polling day.

Subsequent scrutiny revealed alleged attempts to tamper with footage captured by web cameras installed at several polling stations, raising questions over the role of booth-level officers, presiding officers, polling personnel and election observers. Following its findings, the Election Commission ordered repolling in every booth across the constituency.

87 Per Cent Voter Turnout as 35 Companies of Central Forces Deployed

The repoll recorded a voter turnout of more than 87 per cent of the 2.36 lakh electors registered in the constituency, a figure that reflects the high stakes attached to the contest. The total electorate comprises 1,21,300 men, 1,15,135 women and nine third-gender individuals.

The Election Commission significantly stepped up security arrangements for the repoll, deploying around 35 companies of central forces across the constituency to ensure smooth voting. The deployment represented roughly double the security presence compared to the original polling day.

Trinamool Congress Nominee Withdrew Days Before the Repoll

Although six candidates were officially in the fray for the seat, Trinamool Congress nominee Jahangir Khan announced a couple of days before the repoll that he would not contest.

The Mamata Banerjee-led party described the decision as his personal choice. Khan nonetheless appeared on the ballot, receiving 210 votes in the first counting round.

What Happens Next in the Falta Repoll Count

With 20 further counting rounds remaining, the final result is expected later on Sunday. The contest has taken on significance beyond the single constituency, with the circumstances surrounding the original polling day having prompted broader questions about electoral integrity in West Bengal. The Election Commission's decision to order a full repoll across all 285 booths was itself an unusually sweeping response to the irregularities uncovered.