Kurseong election result 2026: BJP's Sonam Lama defeated BGPM's Amar Lama by 17,007 votes

In West Bengal's Kurseong seat, BJP candiate Sonam Lama (74,878 votes) defeated BGPM's Amar Lama (57,871 votes) by 17,007 votes.Kurseong is a constituency in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, situated in the Darjeeling hills and including the town of Kurseong and surrounding hill villages. In 2026, the candidates include Amar Lama of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), Sonam Lama of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Saroj Kumar Khatri of the Congress.In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Kurseong was won by Bishnu Kumar Dhar of the BJP, who defeated his nearest rival from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) by a margin of around 3,500 votes. The close margin reflected a highly competitive political environment in which both local and state-level issues influence voter preferences.The local economy is primarily based on tea plantations, tourism, and small-scale trade, with a significant portion of the population engaged in horticulture and service-related work. Key issues include infrastructure, livelihood opportunities, and public service delivery. Road connectivity, water supply, and electricity reliability are ongoing concerns in both the town and rural villages. Tea garden workers frequently raise demands regarding wages, job security, and access to social welfare schemes.The constituency went to polls on April 23, as part of Phase 1. Darjeeling district recorded a voter turnout of 88.98%.