Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 8 (ANI): Ratna Debnath, the newly elected BJP MLA from Panihati assembly, expressed her happiness after the landslide victory of the Bhartiya Janata Party in West Bengal, saying that she will ensure safety for all the women in the state.
“I am extremely happy. First thing I want is justice for my daughter and will ensure safety and security to all women of Bengal,” she told ANI.
Debnath secured a decisive victory by a substantial margin of 28,836 votes in the Panihati constituency, a seat that has been held by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) since 2011.
According to the final results after all 13 rounds of EVM counting, Debnath polled 87,977 votes, comfortably defeating Tirthankar Ghosh of the All India Trinamool Congress, who managed 59,141 votes.
Overall, the Bhartiya Janata Party secured 207 seats in the Assembly elections 2026, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari was elected the BJP Legislative Party Leader for the party in West Bengal, paving the way for him to become the first BJP Chief Minister in the history of the state.
The announcement was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is serving as the Central Observer for the election of the legislative party leader, after chairing a party meeting in Kolkata on Friday.
“I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari elected as Leader of West Bengal BJP Legislative Party,” Shah, the Central Observer for the election of the legislative party leader in West Bengal, said.
Adhikari is scheduled to take the oath on Saturday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Adhikari contested from Nandigram and Bhabanipur, defeating outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur by a margin of over 15,000 votes, marking a major political development in the state. (ANI)