In Falta, the 'Diamond Model' bites the dust; the 'self-proclaimed Pushpa' is swept away by the saffron storm.

Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: Amidst a heavy cordon of paramilitary forces, re-polling in Falta was conducted on May 21st in a festive atmosphere. On Sunday, vote counting is underway amidst tight security. With every passing round, the BJP candidate's vote tally is steadily rising. The Left Front holds the second position, followed by the Congress camp in third place, while the Trinamool Congress trails in fourth. In a region where, at one time, the sheer dominance of the Trinamool Congress deterred people from even stepping out of their homes on election day, the situation has now undergone a complete transformation following the change of government. Across South 24 Parganas, the 'Diamond Harbour Model' was once the only narrative heard; however, following the political shift in the state, that model has now crumbled into dust. Even in Falta, the Trinamool Congress failed to make any impact whatsoever. The 'self-proclaimed Pushpa'—Jahangir—has been swept away by the saffron storm.

Just 48 hours prior to the election, after showering praise on the Chief Minister, Jahangir—once the undisputed 'strongman' (*Bahubali*) of Falta—effectively fled the electoral battlefield. However, since the deadline for withdrawing nominations had already passed, Jahangir's name remained on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) despite his personal withdrawal from the contest. Yet, on election day—Thursday—he was nowhere to be found; even a visit to his residence yielded no trace of him. He remains untraceable even on the day of the vote counting. Today, at the Diamond Harbour Women's University, the counting process is being conducted across 19 tables over 21 rounds. Twelve rounds of counting have already been completed. The BJP candidate, Debanshu Panda, currently holds a lead of 52,853 votes, having secured a total of 80,398 votes so far. The Left Front candidate, Shambhunath Kurmi, occupies the second spot with 27,545 votes. In third place is the Congress candidate, Abdur Rajjak Molla, with a tally of 6,918 votes. Standing in stark contrast is the Trinamool Congress candidate—Jahangir Khan—who had abandoned the electoral arena and fled even before the polls took place; his vote count stands at a mere 4,000-odd votes.

At one time in Falta, the oppressive dominance of Jahangir kept the local populace living in constant fear. On election day, voters themselves openly recounted these experiences. Votes were monitored and tracked directly from the polling centers, where individuals would stand right beside the voters and dictate exactly which candidate they were to vote for. Jahangir's brigade used to unleash terror upon anyone who failed to vote as instructed. In this election, however, he is nowhere to be seen; he has been swept away by the 'saffron storm.' Although Jahangir has withdrawn himself from the electoral fray, the residents of Falta remain unable to forget those days of terror. They had vented their pent-up fury against him.