The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Nepali-speaking majority areas of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kharsang (Karsang) in the West Bengal assembly elections.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Nepali-speaking Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kharsang (Karsang) constituencies in the West Bengal assembly elections 2026. This has further strengthened the BJP's influence in the hilly region of Bengal.
BJP's Noman Rai won the Darjeeling assembly constituency with 62,076 votes. He defeated Vijay Kumar Rai of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha by a margin of 6,057 votes. Vijay Kumar Rai was the candidate of the alliance with the All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee, while Noman Rai received the support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung. In the previous election, Neeraj Zimba was elected from the same constituency with the support of the Gorkha Rashtriya Mukti Morcha.
BJP has also registered its first victory in Kalimpong (Kalewung), another hilly district with a Nepali-speaking majority. Here, Bharat Kumar Chhetri defeated Ruden Sada Lepcha of the Indian Gorkha Democratic Front by a margin of 21,464 votes. In the previous election, the Lepchas had won. This time, the results show that the BJP's presence in Kalimpong has expanded.
Similarly, BJP's Sonam Lama has also won in the Kharsang (Karsiang) area of Darjeeling district. He defeated Amar Lama of the Indian Gorkha Democratic Front. In the previous election, Bishnu Prasad Sharma (BP Bajgain) was elected here with the support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
BJP's Lok Sabha MP Raju Bista has commented on the party's victory in all three areas as a 'people's victory'. He said, 'This victory is a victory for the Gorkha community.'
This time, the results have changed the political balance of power in the Darjeeling hills. Although regional parties, mainly the Bharatiya Gorkha Democratic Front, were influential in the previous elections, this time the BJP has overtaken that force.
The BJP had prioritized the long-standing demands of the Gorkha community in its election campaign. Top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had also addressed the Gorkha community and assured them of ensuring their rights. This seems to have had a direct impact on the voters of the Gorkha community.
The demand for Gorkhaland, which is considered a sensitive issue in Darjeeling, has been rising for a long time. Analysts say that the commitment to address it has increased the inclination towards the BJP. ‘Basically, that is why the BJP seems to have got the votes,’ says Darjeeling-based litterateur and professor Gyanendra Yakso, ‘However, it remains to be seen how much the election promise will be implemented.’
148 seats are required for a majority in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly. According to preliminary results, the BJP is leading in about 200 seats. This is sure to change the political equation of West Bengal, which has been ruling alone for about 15 years. The Trinamool Congress had emerged after overthrowing the communist regime that lasted for about 4 decades.
