“Third Candidate Shocked Bengal Polls!” Report Says 82 Seats Were Decided By Split Votes

Brief By News18 / 6:58 PM on 06 May 2026

A new report claimed third-placed candidates influenced outcomes in 82 of West Bengal’s 293 Assembly seats by securing more votes than the victory margin. The analysis suggested split voting played a decisive role in several constituencies. In Behrampore, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lost by 17,548 votes, while the third-placed TMC candidate secured 49,586 votes, nearly three times higher than the winning margin there.