Explained | Falta repoll results: How out of fray TMC's Jahangir 'Pushpa' Khan got 7,783 votes

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan who recently made headlines for likening himself to 'Pushpa' — a movie character — following his face-off with an IPS officer, received over 7,500 votes in the May 21 repolling in Falta assembly constituency of West Bengal.

Khan, the TMC candidate of Falta in South 24 Parganas district, had withdrawn from the race hours before campaigning was scheduled to close for the re-election.

The repoll saw BJP's emphatic victory, which came as no surprise in a post-regime change Bengal where the TMC is still struggling to regain organisational footing.

BJP candidate Debangshu Panda polled 1,49,666 votes and secured more than 71 per cent vote share. CPI(M)'s Sambhu Nath Kurmi emerged second with 40,645 votes -- nearly 20 per cent of the votes polled -- while Congress candidate Abdur Razzak Molla finished third. Khan, once among the most talked-about faces of the Falta campaign, slipped to fourth position.

However, if Khan had withdrawn from the race how did he end up polling 7,783 votes?

Nomination withdrawal rules

Khan had announced his decision to step aside on May 19, just two days ahead of the May 21 repoll. The Election Commission deadline for withdrawal of nomination had already passed by then.

This meant that his name, along with the TMC symbol remained on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), letting people vote in his favour and those votes remained valid.

Khan's decision was seen more of a political move than an electoral one.

Khan had cultivated a larger-than-life image around his self-styled 'Pushpa' persona of defiance and had repeatedly projected himself as someone who would not bend under pressure.

The repoll was held after the Election Commission cancelled the earlier election over allegations of irregularities and ordered fresh polling to ensure a free and fair process.

(With PTI inputs)