In a dramatic political turnaround, Motab Shaikh, a 58-year-old candidate from the Indian National Congress, has won the Farakka Assembly constituency after securing a place on the electoral roll just days before the nomination deadline. His victory is being seen as one of the most remarkable outcomes of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Shaikh’s journey to the Assembly began with uncertainty, as his name had earlier been removed from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Challenging the decision, he approached the Supreme Court of India, seeking urgent intervention to restore his voting rights and allow him to contest the election.

On April 5, just a day before the nomination deadline for the first phase, the apex court ruled in his favour, enabling him to re-enter the electoral process. He filed his nomination the very next day from the Farakka constituency, launching a campaign under tight time constraints that would ultimately prove successful.

With only 14 days available for campaigning, Shaikh managed to secure 63,050 votes and won the seat by a margin of more than 8,000 votes. The victory marked his first win in an Assembly election, having previously contested only local panchayat polls. His focused outreach during a short campaign period resonated strongly with voters.

The result also reshaped the local political landscape, with the All India Trinamool Congress, which previously held the seat, dropping to third place. The Bharatiya Janata Party secured the second position, reflecting a notable shift in voter preferences in the constituency.

Shaikh’s win carries broader significance for the Congress party, which had failed to secure any seats in the 2021 Assembly elections. His victory, along with that of another party candidate, provides a renewed presence for the party in West Bengal and highlights the unpredictable and dynamic nature of electoral politics in the state.