The Trinamool Congress has opened up a lead in West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour constituency as vote counting progresses on Monday. TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is currently ahead with 66,084 votes, while BJP contender Dipak Kumar Halder has so far secured 41,081. The margin places the TMC in front by 25,003 votes, with the final outcome still pending. The constituency remains one of the closely watched seats as officials continue tallying results.

Polling at Diamond Harbour

Vote counting for the Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency in West Bengal will be held on 4 May. Repolling was conducted in the seat on Saturday, 2 May, after the Election Commission of India ordered a fresh vote in response to allegations that electronic voting machines were tampered with during the second phase of polling on 29 April. The constituency had originally voted on 29 April, but reports of suspected EVM manipulation prompted the Commission to direct a repoll in the midst of the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections, which cover all 294 constituencies.

Main contenders in 2026

The seat has drawn significant attention due to the close contest between the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal rivals in the state.

The full list of contestants for the Diamond Harbour Assembly seat is as follows:

  • Panna Lal Halder (TMC)
  • Dipak Kumar Halder (BJP)
  • Goutam Bhattacharya (INC)
  • Samar Naiya (CPIM)
  • Yeamin Laskar (AJUN)
  • Bikash Chandra Mondal (BSP)
  • Humayun Shah (Independent)
  • Pannalal Halder (Independent)
  • Dipak Halder (Independent)
  • Goutam Kumar Halder (Independent)

Previous election results

In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC’s Panna Lal Halder secured the Diamond Harbour seat with a margin of 16,996 votes, receiving 98,478 votes. BJP’s Dipak Kumar Halder finished second with 81,482 votes. A total of 11 candidates contested in 2021, representing parties including the TMC, BJP, CPIM, BSP, and several independents. Statewide, the TMC dominated the 2021 polls, winning 215 of 294 seats, while the BJP claimed 77 seats.

Constituency profile

Diamond Harbour, located in the South East Bengal region, is a general-category constituency with a total electorate of 2,45,097 voters. This includes 1,25,553 men and 1,19,541 women. According to the 2011 Census, the area has a literacy rate of 78.57 per cent. The constituency’s population comprises 20.87 per cent Scheduled Castes and 0.22 per cent Scheduled Tribes.

Exit poll trends

The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections were held in two phases under unprecedented security deployment. As counting begins today, exit polls released earlier in the week suggest a tight race between the TMC and BJP.

A consolidated poll of polls places both parties neck and neck, with around 145 seats each, while smaller parties may secure up to four seats. Projections by Chanakya Strategies indicate an edge for the BJP, forecasting 150 to 160 seats for the party and 130 to 140 for the TMC. In contrast, People’s Pulse projects a comfortable lead for the TMC with 177 to 187 seats, while estimating 95 to 110 for the BJP. Matrize’s forecast places the BJP between 146 and 161 seats and the TMC between 125 and 140.