WB election 2026: BJP’s Ajay Ray defeats Udayan Guha in Dinhata with 1,38,255 votes
The Bharatiya Janata Party has retained the Dinhata Assembly seat, with candidate Ajay Ray declared the winner after securing 1,38,255 votes.
Ray’s victory came after a closely watched contest in which Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Udayan Guha trailed throughout the counting process. Early rounds had shown Guha behind by 6,259 votes after four of the 24 rounds of counting.
The counting process in the constituency also saw tensions flare, with clashes reported between BJP and TMC workers in parts of Dinhata. The situation escalated to the point where Central Forces personnel resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Officials said counting was conducted under tight security arrangements as supporters of both parties gathered outside the counting centre during the day-long process.
Polling at Dinhata
Voting concluded on April 23 in the Dinhata Assembly constituency, a key seat in Cooch Behar district in the North Bengal region, as part of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The result is scheduled to be announced on 4 May, when counting takes place across all 294 Assembly seats.
Main contenders in 2026
The Election Commission of India has confirmed eight candidates contesting the Dinhata seat this year.
The full list of contestants for the Dinhata Assembly seat is as follows:
- Udayan Guha (TMC)
- Ajay Ray (BJP)
- Harihar Roy Singha (INC)
- Bikas Mandal (AIFB)
- Ajijul Hoque (SUCIC)
- Prabir Kumar Roy Sarkar (IND)
- Pampa Ray Barman (IND)
- Animesh Barman (IND)
Previous election results
Dinhata witnessed a narrow but significant contest in the 2021 Assembly elections, when BJP candidate Nisith Pramanik won the seat with more than 1,16,035 votes, securing approximately 47.6 per cent of the total vote share. Udayan Guha of the Trinamool Congress finished second, making the contest highly competitive. The 2021 election featured six candidates, including nominees from the TMC, BJP, AIFB and SUCIC, as well as two independents.
Constituency profile
Dinhata falls within the Cooch Behar district and is categorised as a general seat. Census 2011 data shows that 41.79 per cent of the population belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, while 0.35 per cent belongs to the Scheduled Tribe community. The constituency has an electorate of 2,77,291 voters, comprising 1,43,513 men and 1,33,778 women. The literacy rate stands at 75.49 per cent.
Exit poll trends
The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, conducted in two phases amid an unusually heavy security presence, head into the counting stage today. Exit polls released earlier this week point to a photo finish between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A combined assessment of multiple surveys places both parties roughly level at about 145 seats each, with smaller groups projected to pick up as many as four seats. Polling agency Chanakya Strategies suggests a slight advantage for the BJP, estimating 150 to 160 seats, compared with 130 to 140 for the TMC. In contrast, People's Pulse predicts a strong lead for the TMC, projecting 177 to 187 seats and giving the BJP 95 to 110. Another firm, Matrize, places the BJP between 146 and 161 seats and the TMC between 125 and 140.