Democracy won, intimidation lost: PM Modi on BJP's landslide victory in Falta repoll

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the BJP’s sweeping victory in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly repoll after the party crushed the Trinamool Congress by more than one lakh votes in a constituency long regarded as a TMC stronghold.

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

TMC candidate Jahangir Khan slipped to fourth place with just 7,783 votes and forfeited his deposit, marking a dramatic collapse for the ruling party in a seat it had held since 2011.

The BJP secured 71.2 per cent vote share in the repoll, a sharp rise from 36.75 per cent in 2021, while the TMC’s vote share crashed to 3.7 per cent.

PM MODI HAILS BJP WIN

In a post on X, PM Modi called the result a victory for democracy and an endorsement of the BJP’s governance in West Bengal.

“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,” the Prime Minister wrote.

“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,” he added.

Modi also congratulated BJP workers across the state for their “outstanding work” and said the party would continue working for Bengal’s progress.

TMC SUFFERS MAJOR SETBACK

The Falta Assembly seat had long been viewed as part of the TMC’s politically dominant Diamond Harbour belt. The party retained the constituency comfortably in 2021 with nearly 57 per cent vote share.

The repoll, however, completely altered the electoral picture.

The Election Commission had ordered fresh polling in all 285 booths on May 21 after complaints emerged during the April 29 election over alleged use of perfume-like substances, ink marks and adhesive tapes on EVMs.

The repoll was conducted under heavy security cover.

Two days before polling, Jahangir Khan announced he was stepping aside “for Falta’s interest”, though his name remained on the EVM because nominations could not be withdrawn at that stage.

Residents reported little visible TMC campaigning during the repoll, with party offices largely inactive and Khan absent from public view.

ADHIKARI CALLS IT ‘BEGINNING’

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the verdict as proof that voters had finally been allowed to exercise their franchise freely.

In a post on X, Adhikari said he bowed “in salutation to the people of Falta” for delivering a “resounding mandate” to the BJP and pointed out that the one lakh victory target he had appealed for had been crossed.

He accused the TMC of turning into a “mafia company” that abused state machinery and encouraged intimidation politics.

Without naming anyone directly, Adhikari also took an apparent swipe at TMC general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, referring to a “fraudster who parachuted in and claimed the title of commander”.

Calling the result “just the beginning”, Adhikari claimed the people of West Bengal were preparing for a wider political rejection of the TMC.

After the result, Panda said, “People have been able to cast their vote freely and fairly. I want to thank the people of Falta for the victory.”