Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Debangshu Panda registered a significant victory in the Falta Assembly repoll in West Bengal, defeating Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Sambhu Nath Kurmi by a margin of 1,09,021 votes, according to data from the Election Commission.Panda secured around 1.49 lakh votes, while Kurmi polled approximately 40,645 votes.

The repoll was conducted after the Election Commission ordered fresh voting on May 2, citing serious electoral irregularities, including alleged manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in several polling stations.

The poll panel reported complaints of “black adhesive tape/perfume” being applied on ballot unit buttons, allegedly influencing voter selection in certain cases.Out of 285 polling stations in the constituency, at least 60 were flagged for suspected tampering.The fresh polling took place on May 21 after the original vote held on April 29 was declared compromised.

A key political development during the process was the withdrawal of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Jahangir Khan just before polling, although his name remained on the ballot as the withdrawal occurred after the nomination deadline.Despite his withdrawal, Khan still received over 7,400 votes.The TMC stated his decision was personal, while opposition parties raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding his exit.

The TMC has also alleged post-election violence in the constituency, claiming that several party workers were arrested and multiple party offices were vandalised or forced to shut down.Party leader Abhishek Banerjee further alleged large-scale displacement of political workers and inconsistencies in counting.

The BJP’s win has been projected as a strong mandate in the repoll, amid continuing political tension and accusations between rival parties over electoral fairness and administrative neutrality in West Bengal.