Farakka assembly results 2026: INC's Motab Shaikh defeats BJP's Sunil Chowdhuri by 8,193 votes

In West Bengal's Farakka, Indian National Congress' Motab Shaikh defeated BJP's Sunil Chowdhuri by 8,193 votes. Shaikh secured 63,050 votes, while Chowdhuri got 54,857 votes.Farakka in 2026 will feature TMC's Amirul Islam against BJP's Sunil Chowdhuri and Congress's Md. Mahatab Sk.Farakka is a general constituency in Murshidabad district, part of the Maldaha Dakshin Lok Sabha seat. It covers Farakka, home to the famous Farakka Barrage — the massive dam on the Ganga that has long been a subject of water-sharing controversy with Bangladesh. The area is significantly rural with a mixed SC and Muslim electorate. The constituency was historically Congress-leaning.In 2016, Congress's Mainul Haque won the seat, defeating the TMC candidate. By 2021, however, TMC's Monirul Islam turned the tables, winning the seat with nearly 55 per cent of the vote. For 2026, TMC fields Amirul Islam in place of the previous incumbent. Congress's Md. Mahatab Sk will attempt to recapture a seat the party held just a decade ago, while BJP's Sunil Chowdhuri looks to consolidate the saffron vote in a constituency where the party has been a distant third in recent elections. The geographic significance of the Farakka Barrage area, and associated issues of riverbank erosion and displacement, often shape local political sentiment here.