In the Manikchak assembly constituency of West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gour Chandra Mandal emerged victorious, defeating the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Kabita Mandal. Gour Chandra Mandal secured a total of 1,10,118 votes, while Kabita Mandal received 96,180 votes. This outcome marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the region.
Election Results 2026
The Manikchak seat, located in the Malda district, falls under the Maldaha Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency. The area is predominantly rural, with a substantial Scheduled Caste (SC) population of approximately 24 per cent. Historically, the constituency was held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) until 2011, when the TMC's Sabitri Mitra first won the seat. In 2016, Congress candidate Isha Khan Choudhury defeated Sabitri Mitra. However, the 2021 contest saw a dramatic turnaround, with TMC's Sabitri Mitra winning by a comfortable margin of over 33,000 votes, while BJP's Gour Chandra Mandal came second.
2026 Contest and Candidates
For the 2026 elections, the TMC fielded Kabita Mandal instead of the incumbent Sabitri Mitra, while the BJP again chose Gour Chandra Mandal. The Congress candidate was Md. Ansarul Hoque. The seat is part of the Maldaha Dakshin parliamentary constituency, which Congress won in 2024, indicating a complex three-way competitive dynamic among the parties.
Constituency Profile
Manikchak is a general constituency covering the Manikchak community development block and several gram panchayats of the English Bazar block. The constituency has witnessed fluctuating political fortunes, with the TMC, BJP, and Congress all having significant influence. The BJP's victory in 2026 reflects a shift in voter sentiment, possibly driven by local issues and national trends.
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