TMC's 'Pushpa' Jahangir Khan opted out of Falta repoll. So, how come he got votes?

Jahangir Khan, the TMC candidate who once compared himself to 'Pushpa' and later withdrew from the Falta Assembly repoll, still got 7,783 votes as BJP's Debangshu Panda secured a landslide win in the constituency.

In Short

• Jahangir Khan withdrew from Falta repoll, but still got over 7,500 votes
• He opted out days after EC's withdrawal deadline; his name remained on EVMs
• BJP's Debangshu Panda got landslide win in Falta, securing nearly 1.5 lakh votes

Jahangir Khan, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate who once likened himself to 'Pushpa' and later dramatically opted out of the Falta Assembly repoll, still ended up receiving over 7,500 votes, even as BJP’s Debangshu Panda secured a record victory in the constituency on Sunday. Khan is an aide of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who represents Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, under which Falta falls.

Panda had secured 1,49,666 votes – the highest margin in the West Bengal Assembly polls – after 22 rounds of counting. Khan – despite publicly withdrawing from the race – polled 7,783 votes and finished a distant fourth. With this result, the TMC suffered another loss in its stronghold, days after the party suffered a rout in the elections.

The outcome raised an obvious question: if Khan had pulled out, who voted for him? The answer lies in election rules.

Khan announced his decision to step aside on May 19, just two days before the May 21 repoll. But by then, the Election Commission’s deadline for withdrawal had already passed, making his exit political rather than procedural. His name and the TMC symbol remained on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and any vote cast in his favour remained valid and had to be counted.

Once having a stronghold of Falta, Khan had earlier cultivated an image of defiance in the South 24 Parganas region. Falta has traditionally remained a stronghold of the TMC since the party came to power in West Bengal in 2011.

The 41-year-old drew attention after comparing himself to the film character 'Pushpa', signalling he would not back down under pressure.

But in a sudden turn, Khan called a press conference and announced his withdrawal from the repoll race. Calling himself “a son of the soil of Falta”, he said he had decided to step aside after the newly formed BJP government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari promised a major development package for the area.

“I want peace and prosperity for my people. For the sake of development, I am stepping aside from the repoll,” Khan said.

The TMC quickly distanced itself from the move, describing it as Khan’s "personal decision" and not one authorised by the party. The BJP mocked the move and claimed that 'Pushpa' had retreated under pressure amid ongoing cases and changing political equations.

On the repolling day, Khan stayed away from the public eye. He did not campaign and did not cast his own vote. Local party offices that would ordinarily be active during polling remained largely quiet.

Yet, voters entering booths still saw his name on the EVM and voted. For many, the vote remained attached to the party symbol rather than the candidate’s public announcement. Others may simply have been unaware that he had exited the race.

WHY WAS REPOLLING ORDERED IN FALTA?

On May 2, the Election Commission ordered fresh voting across all 285 booths in Falta after allegations emerged during the April 29 polling over suspected irregularities, including claims involving EVM handling and attempts to interfere with web-camera footage from polling stations.

The repoll was conducted under heavy security deployment involving around 35 companies of central forces and recorded a turnout of over 88 per cent among the constituency’s 2.36 lakh voters.

The Falta repoll itself carried significance beyond a routine constituency battle.

What had once been projected by the TMC as part of its organisational stronghold in the Diamond Harbour belt turned into a symbolic contest as the BJP opened up a commanding lead.

Khan had earlier grabbed headlines after openly challenging IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma, who was brought in from Uttar Pradesh as a poll observer ahead of the West Bengal polls.

Known for his image as an “encounter specialist”, Sharma is often referred to as 'Singham', a nickname that followed him to West Bengal as well. Responding to the comparison, Khan had styled himself as 'Pushpa', inspired by Allu Arjun’s popular character from the film Pushpa: The Rise.

“If he is Singham, then I am Pushpa,” Khan had said after Sharma reportedly visited his residence before polling and warned his family members against intimidating voters on election day.

But the swagger did not translate into electoral success. As counting progressed, the self-styled 'Pushpa' slipped to a distant fourth position while BJP’s Debangshu Panda opened up an unassailable lead, turning Falta into one of the most politically symbolic contests after the change of guard in West Bengal.

Once formally declared winner, Panda’s victory would take the BJP’s tally to 208 seats from 207, although the party’s effective strength in the Assembly would remain unchanged after Adhikari vacated Nandigram following his retention of Bhabanipur, where Mamata Banerjee was defeated.
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(with inputs from PTI)