In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election for the Baghmundi constituency (number 240), Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rahidas Mahato emerged victorious with 1,12,663 votes. He defeated the All India Trinamool Congress candidate Sushanta Mahato, who secured 71,846 votes. The BJP's winning margin stood at a strong 40,817 votes.
Key Candidates and Vote Share
Congress candidate Nepal Chandra Mahato finished third with 31,686 votes. Other candidates from smaller parties and independents trailed far behind. The NOTA option recorded 2,437 votes in this constituency.
Constituency Profile
Baghmundi is situated in the Jhalda subdivision of Purulia district and is part of the Purulia Lok Sabha constituency. The area is surrounded by the Ajodhya Hills and forests, giving it a scenic, upland character distinct from the plains. Notable attractions include the Murguma reservoir and Ajodhya Hill dam, which draw tourists. Purulia is a tribal-influenced district with significant populations of Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
Historical Context
In the 2021 assembly election, TMC's Sushanta Mahato had won the seat. The TMC also held Baghmundi in 2016 and has controlled the constituency since 2011. In this election, Sushanta Mahato was the renominated TMC incumbent, while BJP's Rahidas Mahato and Congress's Nepal Chandra Mahato were the main challengers. The prevalence of the Mahato surname across all three parties reflects the dominance of the Kurmi-Mahato community in this belt. All three candidates share this community identity, making intra-community competition a decisive factor.
Local Issues
Tribal welfare, forest rights, and development of the hill region's tourism potential are important local issues. Candidates needed to address these concerns to sway voters in this constituency.
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