Trinamool eyes full sweep in Cooch Behar in 2026 polls

Cooch Behar: Following a resounding victory in the recent Sitai by-election, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has set its sights on securing all nine seats in Cooch Behar district in the upcoming 2026 Bengal Assembly elections. Party leaders are optimistic that the success in Sitai will provide a strong foundation for this ambitious goal.

District Trinamool president Abhijit Dey Bhowmik expressed confidence, stating: “The path to a 9-0 victory in the district in the next Assembly elections has become clearer. The groundwork has been laid through the tireless efforts of our leaders and workers. In the past, Trinamool emerged victorious in the Panchayat and Lok Sabha elections, even defeating former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik. The win in the Sitai by-election has significantly boosted the morale of our leaders and workers. Our focus is now on the 2026 Assembly elections.”

Despite Trinamool’s optimism, the BJP has downplayed the impact of the Sitai by-election results. BJP leaders claim that the outcome will not affect the assembly elections. However, with most of Cooch Behar’s Gram Panchayats under Trinamool’s control, the BJP’s organisational weaknesses was evident in Sitai. The party’s candidate secured only 35,000 votes in the by-election and local BJP MLAs were absent from the campaign.

TMC’s Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia emphasised the significance of the Sitai results, calling it a “semi-final” for the 2026 elections. He added: “The people of Bengal have made up their minds — Trinamool is the only party they trust.”

On the other hand, BJP district president Sukumar Roy dismissed the outcome, stating: “Where people were unable to vote, there’s little else to discuss. This result will not influence the 2026 Assembly elections.”