WBLA Election 2026: BJP’s Bharat Kumar Chhetri Builds Massive Lead in Kalimpong After 10th Round

KalimNews, May 4, 2026, Kalimpong :  The counting battle in the Kalimpong Assembly Constituency during the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections is increasingly tilting in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with candidate Bharat Kumar Chhetri opening up a commanding lead after the completion of the 10th counting round.

According to the latest available figures, Bharat Kumar Chhetri (BJP) has polled 74,180 votes, comfortably ahead of his nearest challenger Ruden Sada Lepcha of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), who has secured 56,385 votes.

This places Chhetri ahead by a significant margin of 17,795 votes, making him the clear frontrunner in Kalimpong as counting heads into the later rounds.

Vote tally after Round 10 of 12 – Kalimpong AC

• Bharat Kumar Chhetri (BJP) – 74,180
• Ruden Sada Lepcha (BGPM) – 56,385
• Bhernone Britto Lepcha (Independent) – 13,341
• NOTA – 1,844
• Sisir Kumar Sharma (ABGL) – 1,749
• Santa Kumar Pradhan (INC) – 1,602
• Aldrin Lepcha (Independent) – 1,276
• Rita Thapa (CPI-M) – 817

The Kalimpong contest has largely evolved into a straight fight between BJP and BGPM, with Bharat Kumar Chhetri maintaining a strong and consistent advantage.

Crossing the 74,000-vote mark by the 10th round gives the BJP candidate a substantial edge, while BGPM’s Ruden Sada Lepcha remains the principal challenger but now faces a steep deficit.

Independent candidate Bhernone Britto Lepcha, with 13,341 votes, has emerged as a notable third force, though still well behind the top two candidates.

Interestingly, NOTA has drawn 1,844 votes, outperforming several party candidates and indicating a visible section of voter dissatisfaction.

Other parties struggle

Smaller parties and traditional contenders have had limited impact in Kalimpong:

• Congress candidate Santa Kumar Pradhan has managed 1,602 votes
• CPI(M)’s Rita Thapa remains at 817 votes
• ABGL’s Sisir Kumar Sharma has secured 1,749 votes
• Independent Aldrin Lepcha stands at 1,276 votes

These figures underline the bipolar nature of the contest in the constituency.

Kalimpong remains one of the politically significant hill constituencies in North Bengal. A BJP win here would reinforce the party’s foothold in the hills, where it has consistently tried to consolidate anti-TMC and regional aspirations.

For BGPM, narrowing the nearly 18,000-vote gap in the remaining rounds will be a difficult task unless there is a strong reversal in the uncounted segments.

Despite the sizable BJP advantage, officials have not yet declared the final result, as multiple counting rounds are still pending.

As of the 10th round, however, Bharat Kumar Chhetri appears firmly on course toward a likely victory in Kalimpong Assembly Constituency.

The official winner will be announced only after completion of all 12 rounds and final verification by the Election Commission.