West Bengal election results 2026: BJP’s Rekha Patra leads in Hingalganj – How the Sandeshkhali face make her presence felt in state politics

She first grabbed headlines after speaking about alleged incidents of violence, harassment and land-related disputes in the region.

New Delhi: As counting for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections continues, early trends from Hingalganj show Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rekha Patra moving ahead of Trinamool Congress (TMC) nominee Ananda Sarkar. Patra’s rise in this election has been one of the more debated stories in the state politics, largely because of how she entered the political space in the first place.

She is a homemaker from North 24 Parganas who later stepped into public life through activism that began in Sandeshkhali. She first grabbed headlines after speaking about alleged incidents of violence, harassment and land-related disputes in the region.

Her involvement began at the local level, where she was among women who raised concerns about what they described as intimidation and misconduct involving political networks in Sandeshkhali. Over time, her name became famous as she supported other women who made similar complaints and demanded accountability in the area.

This development moved her from a local resident into a public personality associated with a broader protest movement in the region.

Emergence from Sandeshkhali movement

The Sandeshkhali protests became a turning point for Patra. She was one of the women who openly spoke about alleged pressure and wrongdoing by suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates. Her participation made her a visible face in the movement, and she soon began to be seen as a representative voice for affected residents.

For many in the region, she came to represent a form of resistance against what was being described in political debates as local-level misgovernance and abuse of power.

Political entry and BJP candidature

Following her emergence as a public voice, the BJP brought her into electoral politics. She was first fielded in the 2024 general elections from the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency. Later, she was nominated as the BJP candidate from Hingalganj for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Her campaign has centred on issues such as women’s safety, governance in rural areas and concerns raised from parts of North Bengal. BJP leaders have repeatedly pointed to her candidature as part of their emphasis on women’s issues in the state.

As part of its second list for the state elections, the party had included Patra among 113 candidates, setting up her contest against TMC’s Ananda Sarkar.

Recognition and security cover

Patra’s public role also brought attention beyond Bengal politics. She was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during election rallies, where he referred to her as “Shakti Swaroopa”. Her growing profile also led to her being placed under X-category security by the Ministry of Home Affairs due to concerns arising from her activism and political visibility.

Election performance and present trend

In the ongoing counting process, Patra is leading in Hingalganj, though the final outcome is still awaited. Her performance is being followed because Hingalganj is a reserved Scheduled Caste seat and includes areas near Sandeshkhali II block, a region that has seen intense political fight in recent years.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she had contested from Basirhat but lost to TMC’s Haji Nurul Islam by a margin of over 3.33 lakh votes. Despite the loss, she had managed to lead in the Sandeshkhali Assembly segment, which BJP leaders later pointed to as an encouraging sign for the party in that area.

Political context around Sandeshkhali

The Sandeshkhali issue continues to influence political conversations in Bengal. The area was at the centre of protests that the BJP has consistently used to highlight its criticism of the TMC. Patra’s repeated nomination shows the party’s effort to keep that issue in public memory as elections progress.

At the same time, legal proceedings involving Shahjahan have also kept the region in the news. A Calcutta High Court bench recently rejected his bail plea, stating that “sufficient incriminating material has transpired in the course of investigation, which primarily suggests (his) leading role in the alleged offence”.

The court also observed that he is an “extremely influential person in the locality” and “dreaded by one and all”, adding that releasing him at this stage could lead to “tampering of evidence and intimidating witnesses”.

The case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and relates to an alleged attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid in January 2024 connected to a ration distribution scam probe.

Patra’s journey from Sandeshkhali resident to BJP candidate in Hingalganj has become one of the more closely followed political developments in the 2026 West Bengal elections. As counting continues, her performance is being seen as part of a political test in rural Bengal, where local movements and electoral politics now often move together.