Kalna assembly polls 2026: Siddhartha Majumdar of BJP wins against Deboprasad Bag (Poltu) of TMC

Siddhartha Majumdar of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Kalna (SC) Assembly Constituency No. 265, defeating Deboprasad Bag (Poltu) of the All India Trinamool Congress.Kalna (SC), Assembly Constituency No. 265, lies in Purba Bardhaman district in South Bengal, along the Bhagirathi river. Covering Kalna I and II blocks and Kalna municipality, the constituency is situated in the fertile Bhagirathi valley. In the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election, the other candidates included Sharmistha Nag Saha of the CPI(M) and Amal Kumar Saha of the Indian National Congress, making it a multi-cornered contest in this historic temple town.Kalna town has historical significance as an ancient temple town with the celebrated complex of 108 Shiva Temples, making it a minor pilgrimage and heritage centre. The 234,000+ electors are predominantly SC communities in rural areas alongside urban middle-class and trader populations in Kalna town.Key voter concerns include river embankment maintenance, flooding, agricultural support, urban heritage conservation, weaving (tant saree) livelihoods, and healthcare and connectivity. The tant weaver community's economic vulnerability is a political mobilization point. Historically Left Front, transitioning to TMC post-2011, with BJP posing a competitive challenge since 2019.Turnout at 87.9 per cent in bipolar TMC-BJP contest. In 2021, TMC's Deboprasad Bag (POLTU) won by 7,478 votes (~3.6 per cent of 206,444 total votes)—a moderate, not commanding, margin. A marginal TMC seat; the relatively narrow margin makes Kalna competitive for 2026. Under Bardhaman-Purba Lok Sabha, it is a closely watched barometer of TMC-BJP competition in the Bhagirathi valley agricultural belt.