Basirhat (Sandeshkhali) Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 LIVE: BJP's Rekha Patra trails by 41,000 votes; TMC's Nurul Islam leads

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rekha Patra is trailing by a margin of over 41,000 votes in the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, including Sandeshkhali which was the epicentre of the ruling Trinamool Congress-BJP faceoff in Bengal. TMC's Nurul Islam, however, is leading in the contest. 

Basirhat has garnered significant attention following reports of alleged misconduct and land appropriation by the ruling All India Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Shahjahan Sheikh, centered in Sandeshkhali. The Basirhat Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the seventh phase on June 1.

The Sandeshkhali incident snowballed into a significant issue against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) concerning the alleged facilitation of 'mafia raj' within West Bengal. Claims involving land appropriation and sexual exploitation of women have escalated into a substantial point of contention in the ongoing political conflict between the BJP and TMC, especially in the lead-up to forthcoming elections. What initially appeared to be an isolated local issue has evolved into a broader representation of the governance challenges facing West Bengal.

Exit polls

Most exit polls hinted at BJP likely to win more seats than TMC in the state. India Today-My Axis poll suggested BJP could secure 26-31 seats, while TMC may get 11-14. The poll also anticipates an increase in BJP's SC/ST and OBC support. ABP News-CVoter poll said BJP to secure 23-27 seats in West Bengal, while TMC may win 13-17 seats. Congress expected to get 1-3 seats. Jan Ki Baat survey projected 21-26 seats for BJP and 16-18 for TMC. Republic TV's PMARQ survey predicted 22 seats for BJP and 20 seats for TMC.

Key candidates 

Rekha Patra, who led protests in Sandeshkhali against Shahjahan Sheikh, was nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest in the Basirhat constituency, where she is facing Haji Nurul Islam from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Nirapada Sarkar from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Notably, Patra played a pivotal role in protests against Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali, bringing attention to his purported abuse of women. She was among the first to vocalize concerns regarding Sheikh's misconduct and highlight the challenges faced by women in Sandeshkhali. As a consequence of these actions, Shahjahan Sheikh was expelled from the TMC for six years and subsequently arrested.

Trinamool Congress' Haji Nurul Islam is a veteran leader and former MP from the seat. He won the election in 2009 and held the seat till 2014. Also in the fray is the CPI(M)’s Nirapada Sardar, a local leader and former Sandeshkhali MLA.

Close contest

Before the Lok Sabha elections, Sandeshkhali grabbed national attention in January when Enforcement Directorate officials were attacked en route to raid Shahjahan Sheikh's house. Sheikh was wanted in an alleged scam in the state's ration distribution system. Despite efforts, he remained elusive until women protested on February 8. The women's protest led to Shahjahan's arrest by the West Bengal Police, who was later taken into custody by the CBI.

The BJP has positioned the events in Sandeshkhali at the forefront of its campaign in West Bengal, aiming to exert pressure on the Mamata Banerjee-led administration, which is currently under ED scrutiny for multiple cases.

Initially, BJP candidate Patra garnered support from villagers who acknowledged suffering due to the overreach of local Trinamool Congress leaders. However, as polling approached in Basirhat, a video surfaced featuring BJP Block President Gangadhar Kayal admitting that they had compensated women from Sandeshkhali to lodge false complaints against TMC leaders.

2019 Lok Sabha elections

In 2019, Bengali actress Nusrat Jahan Ruhi from Trinamool Congress won the election with 7.82 lakh votes, securing a victory margin of over 3.5 lakh votes against BJP's Sayathan Basu. Nusrat's victory with over 54% of the votes marked a third consecutive win for AITC in the constituency.

2014 Lok Sabha polls

In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Idris Ali of Trinamool Congress secured victory with 38.64% of the votes. Nurul Huda from CPI, the runner-up, received 382,667 votes (30.03%). Idris Ali won by a margin of 109,659 votes over Nurul Huda.