Natabari election results 2026: BJP’s Girija Shankar Ray defeats TMC’s Sailen Barma by 34,613 votes

In West Bengal’s Natabari constituency, BJP’s Girija Shankar Ray defeated TMC’s Sailen Barma by 34,613 votes. Ray got 1,26,911 votes while Barma got 92,298 votes.Natabari is a general (unreserved) constituency in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. Candidates for 2026 include Sailen Barma of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Girija Shankar Ray of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biswajit Sarkar of the Congress.In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the constituency was won by Mihir Goswami of the BJP, defeating his nearest rival TMC by a margin of 36,694 votes. The victory was seen as significant, especially since Goswami had been associated with the TMC before switching to the BJP ahead of the elections. His victory reflects both personal political dynamics and the growing influence of the BJP in parts of Cooch Behar.The constituency is largely rural and agriculture is the backbone of the local economy. Related activities such as rice cultivation, small-scale agriculture, and livestock rearing play a central role in shaping livelihoods. Key issues center around rural development and economic stability, with agricultural challenges such as irrigation facilities, crop prices and vulnerability to floods remaining major concerns for residents.The constituency went to polls on April 23 as part of the first phase. Cooch Behar constituency recorded a voter turnout of 96.2%, the highest among all constituencies during this phase.