AT Photo: BJP celebrates as Diganta Ghatowar wins Behali by-poll
Biswanath, Nov. 23: As the vote counting for the Behali Legislative Constituency by-election came to an end on Saturday, BJP’s Diganta Ghatowar emerged as the winner from the crucial by-poll seat, winning by a margin of 9,051 votes.
Congress' Jayanta Borah secured 41,896 votes, while Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) could manage only 5,093 votes.
Ahead of the results announcement, Ghatowar had credited the BJP government for its development-focused policies, stating that the tea tribe community and other communities have supported the party since 2014 due to its commitment to their development.
"All communities have experienced progress under the BJP," Ghatowar said, highlighting the party’s outreach and inclusive growth strategies. He also expressed satisfaction with the party’s strong performance in minority and Christian-dominated areas, adding, “We have secured a large number of votes from these areas as well.”
Expressing confidence, Ghatowar shared his expectations for the result, stating, “I am hopeful of securing over 55,000 votes and winning by at least a margin of 20,000 votes based on our analysis.”
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Borah, while acknowledging the early trends, expressed both nervousness and hope for a turnaround.
"I am hopeful that Congress will win with a large margin," Borah said, calling on the district administration to ensure a fair counting process in the remaining hours.
Borah also spoke about raids on his hotels, claiming they were politically motivated. "I don’t mind the raids, but it’s clear they were aimed at me because I’m a Congress candidate," he added.
On the other hand, Communist Party of India – Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) candidate Lakhikanta Kurmi criticised the BJP, calling it the “biggest enemy of the country” due to its alleged “communal politics”.
He remained hopeful that the people of Behali will reject the BJP’s ideology, saying, "Even though the alliance between CPI-ML and Congress did not work out in Behali, we are confident that the BJP’s communal politics will be defeated."
Kurmi also discussed the breakdown of the Congress-CPI-ML alliance, blaming Congress for the split, and expressed optimism for a united opposition in the 2026 elections.
“The alliance didn’t succeed because of Congress as the ‘Big Brother’. The people can see that. I am hopeful that all opposition parties will come together next time," Kurmi said.
