Falta Repoll Sees Over 86% Turnout After TMC Candidate Quits, BJP Eyes Victory

Falta Repoll Sees Over 86% Turnout After TMC Candidate Quits, BJP Eyes Victory Published By, Last Updated: May 22, 2026, 08:35 IST Falta Repoll: If the BJP wins Falta, its tally in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections will rise to 208 seats. Rapid Read Falta Repoll: The conbstituency recorded high voter turnout (Image used for representation) Falta Repoll: West Bengal’s Falta Assembly constituency witnessed a high voter turnout during the repoll on Thursday, with polling remaining peaceful throughout the day. By 5 pm, more than 86 per cent of voters had cast their ballots in the closely watched Falta repoll. The constituency drew major political attention after Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan withdrew from the contest just two days before voting. His sudden exit significantly changed the political atmosphere and strengthened the BJP’s confidence in the seat. The Falta repoll was ordered by the Election Commission following complaints during the April 29 election. Allegations had surfaced from several booths claiming perfume-like substances and adhesive tapes were applied to Electronic Voting Machines. While results for the remaining 293 Assembly constituencies were declared on May 4, Falta remained pending because of the repoll order. The BJP had already scripted a historic victory by coming to power in West Bengal for the first time. Election officials said 86.11 per cent of the constituency’s 2.36 lakh voters had voted till 5 pm. During the original polling on April 29, turnout at the same time stood at 86.71 per cent. Heavy Security Deployment The Election Commission tightened security arrangements for the Falta repoll by deploying around 35 companies of central forces across 285 polling booths. Thirty Quick Response Teams were also kept on standby. Polling began at 7 am and continued till 6 pm without any major incident. “Polling has remained peaceful in Falta. We have not received a single report of any problem from anywhere in the constituency," a poll panel official told PTI. Long queues were seen outside several polling stations from early morning. Many voters said they experienced a calmer atmosphere compared to previous elections. “For the first time in nearly 15 years, I feel I could vote peacefully. Earlier, many people felt they could not vote freely. This time, the atmosphere is different," a voter said. BJP Confident After Khan’s Withdrawal Though six candidates officially remained in the contest, the Falta repoll took a dramatic turn after Jahangir Khan announced on Tuesday that he would not contest. The move surprised many within the Trinamool Congress and shifted the political momentum in favour of the BJP. If the BJP wins Falta, its tally in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections will rise to 208 seats. However, the party’s effective strength in the Assembly will remain 207 after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari decided to vacate Nandigram after retaining Bhabanipur. The constituency has 1,21,300 male voters, 1,15,135 women voters and nine third gender voters. TMC Calls It Khan’s Personal Decision Khan later said he withdrew from the contest keeping Falta’s interests in mind. He also referred to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s promise of a special development package for the constituency. The Trinamool Congress distanced itself from the decision and described it as Khan’s personal choice. The party also alleged that the constituency had witnessed pressure and intimidation after the Assembly election results. Earlier, Adhikari had mocked Khan for “running away" from the contest and claimed he would struggle to find polling agents during the repoll. BJP candidate Debanshu Panda said voters were experiencing a free and fair election atmosphere. “Women are coming out and voting. People are seeing what voting actually looks like. I am confident of a victory," Panda said. Falta Repoll Draws Wider Political Attention The Falta constituency falls within the Diamond Harbour parliamentary region represented by Abhishek Banerjee, making the seat politically important beyond a single Assembly constituency. Recent developments including BJP gains in parts of the Diamond Harbour belt, the Falta repoll controversy and Khan’s withdrawal have triggered fresh political discussion over changing equations in an area once seen as a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: West Bengal, India, India First Published: May 22, 2026, 08:35 IST News india Falta Repoll Sees Over 86% Turnout After TMC Candidate Quits, BJP Eyes Victory Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...