BJP candidate Sanat Sardar has won the Sandeshkhali Assembly seat, defeating Trinamool Congress nominee Jharna Sardar as counting concluded on Monday. Sardar secured 1,07,189 votes, while Jharna Sardar polled 89,679. CPI(M) candidate Rabindranath Mahato finished third with 12,921 votes.

Officials said the Trinamool candidate had initially maintained a narrow lead in the early rounds of counting, but the BJP nominee moved ahead after the eighth and ninth rounds and held on to secure victory.

Sandeshkhali, located in the Sundarbans region, has seen shifting political alignments over the years. Once considered a stronghold of the CPI(M), the constituency moved towards the Trinamool Congress after 2011. The party consolidated its position further in 2016, and its candidate won by a large margin in the 2021 elections.

Polling in Sandeshkhali

Counting of votes for the Sandeshkhali Assembly constituency in West Bengal will take place on May 4, following polling held on 23 April in the second phase of the state’s ongoing Assembly elections. Sandeshkhali, located in the North 24 Parganas district, is one of the 294 constituencies that make up the West Bengal Assembly and is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

Main contenders in 2026

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remain the primary competitors in this tribal-reserved seat, which has historically been a stronghold for the ruling TMC.

The full list of contestants for the Sandeshkhali Assembly constituency is:

  • Jharna Sardar (TMC)
  • Sanat Sardar (BJP)
  • Yudhisthir Bhumij (INC)
  • Rabindra Nath Mahata (CPIM)
  • Harish Chandra Sardar (Independent)
  • Subal Chandra Sardar (Independent)
  • Sanat Munda (Independent)
  • Sajal Kumar Sardar (Independent)

Previous election results

The constituency has been dominated by the TMC in recent years. In the 2021 Assembly elections, Sukumar Mahata of the AITC retained the seat with a vote share of 54.64 per cent, securing 1,12,450 votes. He defeated BJP’s Dr Bhaskar Sardar, who received 72,765 votes, corresponding to 35.36 per cent of the vote. Mahata won by a margin of 39,685 votes. The 2016 election produced a similar outcome, with Mahata winning 96,556 votes, or 51.49 per cent, against CPI(M) candidate Nirapada Sardar, who collected 58,366 votes. The victory margin that year stood at 38,190 votes. In 2021, six candidates contested the seat, including nominees from the TMC, BJP, smaller parties and several independents.

Constituency profile

Sandeshkhali is an ST-reserved constituency with a significant tribal population. According to Census 2011 data, the constituency has a literacy rate of 84.95 per cent. Scheduled Castes account for 36.46 per cent of the population, while Scheduled Tribes comprise 24.55 per cent. The electorate consists of 2,23,269 voters, including 1,17,641 men and 1,05,623 women. Situated in the South East Bengal region, the constituency remains politically significant, with both the TMC and BJP looking to secure a crucial win as vote counting gets underway.

Exit poll trends

The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, conducted over two phases amid an unprecedented security presence, head into counting today, with exit polls pointing to a closely fought contest between the TMC and the BJP.

A combined “poll of polls” shows the two main parties running virtually level, each projected to win about 145 seats, while smaller groups may pick up as many as four. Forecasts from Chanakya Strategies give the BJP a slight advantage, estimating 150 to 160 seats for the party and 130 to 140 for the TMC.

In contrast, People’s Pulse predicts a strong lead for the TMC, projecting 177 to 187 seats and placing the BJP at between 95 and 110. A separate model by Matrize suggests the BJP could secure 146 to 161 seats, with the TMC expected to take 125 to 140.