BJP Retains Darjeeling Plains Seats; TMC Alleges EVM Tampering

Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 5 May 2026, Siliguri: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again secured a decisive victory across key constituencies in the Darjeeling plains, with all its candidates retaining their seats for a second consecutive term.

As per the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI), in the Siliguri Assembly Constituency, Shankar Ghosh, BJP candidate, was ahead of Gautam Deb of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) by a margin of 71,281 votes till Round 12.

In Matigara-Naxalbari Constituency, BJP candidate Anandamay Barman registered a massive lead of 1,03,747 votes till Round 13 against AITC candidate Shankar Malakar. Similarly, Durga Murmu won the seat by a margin of 45,263 votes, defeating Reena Toppo Ekka.

In the Dabgram-Fulbari Constituency, BJP’s Shikha Chatterjee secured victory with a margin of 97,715 votes over AITC candidate Ranjan Shil Sharma.

Following the announcement of results, BJP workers and supporters erupted in celebration across the region. Festivities included music played on DJs, the use of saffron colours, and the distribution of sweets in various parts of the constituencies.

Reacting to his victory, Shankar Ghosh said: “I want to thank all the people of West Bengal who actually did it. With their support, we can now fly the BJP’s flag in the land of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. We will work to fulfil the aspirations of the people and provide the services that were not possible during the TMC government. The double-engine government will bring massive development to the state. After this victory, I am missing my mother.”

Anandamay Barman echoed similar sentiments, stated: “This is the victory of the people. A storm of development will now take place across the state. A much-needed change will be seen in Bengal.”

However, Gautam Deb, the AITC candidate, raised serious allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering. He claimed that irregularities were noticed at the beginning of the counting process, including EVM storage trunks having only one lock instead of the mandated two. He also alleged that a postal ballot envelope had been opened.

“EVM machines have been tampered. A machine that had a 93 per cent charge was showing 90 per cent even after 11 hours of counting. How is it possible? The envelope was opened and the EVM trunks had only one key. This result is unusual. EVM tampering definitely took place,” Deb alleged.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated in parts of the region, with allegations emerging that BJP workers vandalised a TMC party office in Fulbari-I under the Dabgram-Fulbari Constituency. Reports also claimed that BJP flags were placed at multiple locations, including the Fulbari-II Gram Panchayat office and the Siliguri Municipal Corporation office premises.

The BJP had also swept these seats in the 2021 Assembly elections. That year, Shankar Ghosh defeated AITC’s Om Prakash Mishra by 35,586 votes in Siliguri. Anandamay Barman won Matigara-Naxalbari by 70,848 votes against Rajen Sundas, while Shikha Chatterjee defeated Gautam Deb in Dabgram-Fulbari by 27,593 votes.