Darjeeling Assembly constituency
Constituency of the West Bengal legislative assembly in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darjeeling Assembly constituency is an assembly constituency in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
| Darjeeling | |
|---|---|
| Constituency No. 23 for the West Bengal Legislative Assembly | |
![]() Interactive Map Outlining Darjeeling Assembly Constituency | |
| Constituency details | |
| Country | India |
| Region | East India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Darjeeling |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Darjeeling |
| Established | 1951 |
| Total electors | 210,995 |
| Reservation | None |
| Member of Legislative Assembly | |
| 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly | |
| Incumbent | |
| Party | |
| Elected year | 2026 |
| Preceded by | Neeraj Zimba |
- Independent (5 times) (26.3%)
- Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (4 times) (21.1%)
- Gorkha National Liberation Front (3 times) (15.8%)
- Bharatiya Janata Party (3 times) (15.8%)
- Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (2 times) (10.5%)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (2 times) (10.5%)
Overview
As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No. 23 Darjeeling Assembly constituency covers Darjeeling municipality, Darjeeling Pulbazar community development block and Dhootria Kalej Valley, Ghum Khasmahal, Sukhia-Simana, Rangbhang Gopaldhara, Pokhriabong I, Pokhriabong II, Pokhriabong III, Lingia Maraybong, Permaguri Tamsang, Plungdung and Rangbull gram panchayats of Jorebunglow Sukhiapokhri community development block.[1]
Darjeeling Assembly constituency is part of No. 4 Darjeeling (Lok Sabha constituency).[1]
Members of the Legislative Assembly
| Year | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Dalbahadur Singh Gahatraj | Independent | |
| 1957 | Deo Prakash Rai | ||
| 1962 | Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League | ||
| 1967 | Independent | ||
| 1969 | Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League | ||
| 1971 | |||
| 1972 | |||
| 1977 | Independent | ||
| 1982 | Dawa Lama | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | |
| 1987 | |||
| 1991 | Narendra Kumai | Independent | |
| 1996 | Nar Bahadur Chhetri | Gorkha National Liberation Front | |
| 2001 | D.K. Pradhan | ||
| 2006 | Pranay Rai | ||
| 2011 | Trilok Dewan | Gorkha Janmukti Morcha | |
| 2016 | Amar Singh Rai | ||
| 2019^ | Neeraj Zimba | Bharatiya Janata Party | |
| 2021 | |||
| 2026 | Noman Rai | ||
- ^ by-election
Election results
2026
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJP | Noman Rai | 62,076 | 35.72 | ||
| BGPM | Bijoy Kumar Rai | 56,019 | 32.23 | ||
| IND | Ajoy Lucas Edwards | 48,635 | 27.98 | ||
| IND | Jatin Ghalay | 1,937 | 1.11 | ||
| INC | Madhap Rai | 1,729 | 0.99 | ||
| RAJSP | Milan Thokar | 1,371 | 0.79 | ||
| NOTA | Nota | 2,040 | 1.17 | ||
| Majority | 6,057 | 3.49 | |||
| Turnout | 173,807 | 82.37 | |||
| Registered electors | 210,995 | ||||
| BJP hold | Swing | 4.56 | |||
2021
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJP | Neeraj Tamang Zimba | 68,907 | 40.88 | ||
| IND | Keshav Raj Sharma | 47,631 | 28.26 | ||
| IND | Pemba Tshering | 38,240 | 22.68 | ||
| IND | Suraj Gurung | 2,855 | 1.69 | ||
| NOTA | None of the Above | 2,540 | 1.51 | ||
| IND | Nima Gyamtsho Sherpa | 2,088 | 1.24 | ||
| CPI(M) | Gautam Raj Rai | 1,913 | 1.13 | ||
| IND | Anjani Sharma | 1,677 | 0.99 | ||
| IND | Milan Thokar | 1,397 | 0.83 | ||
| IND | Bharat Prakash Rai | 1,327 | 0.79 | ||
| Majority | 21,276 | 12.62 | |||
| Turnout | 168,575 | 68.34 | |||
| BJP hold | Swing | ||||
2019 by-election
In the West Bengal Legislative Assembly by-election 2019, Neeraj Zimba of BJP defeated his nearest rival Binay Tamang (Independent). The by-election was held because the sitting MLA Amar Singh Rai resigned to contest in the Lok Sabha election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJP | Neeraj Zimba | 88,161 | 61.80 | ||
| GJM(B)[a] | Binay Tamang | 41,623 | 29.18 | ||
| JAP | Amar Lama | 3,242 | 2.27 | ||
| CPI(M) | K. B. Wattar | 2,087 | 1.46 | ||
| IND | Swaraj Thapa | 1,768 | 1.24 | ||
| IND | Sarda Rai Subba | 1,270 | 0.89 | ||
| IDRF[b] | Sanjay Thakuri | 1,183 | 0.83 | ||
| GRC | Amar Luksom | 1,166 | 0.82 | ||
| ABGL | Biplov Rai | 668 | 0.47 | ||
| NOTA | None of the Above | 1,487 | 1.04 | −2.25 | |
| Majority | 46,538 | 32.62 | +1.30 | ||
| Turnout | 142,675 | 59.71 | |||
| Swing to BJP from GJM | Swing | ||||
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJM | Amar Singh Rai | 95,386 | 59.85 | ||
| AITC | Sarda Rai Subba | 45,473 | 28.53 | ||
| IND | Govind Chettri | 8,982 | 5.64 | ||
| NOTA | None of the Above | 5,817 | 3.65 | ||
| GRC | Ashok Kumar Lepcha | 3,716 | 2.33 | ||
| Majority | 49,913 | 31.32 | |||
| Turnout | 159,374 | 67.11 | |||
| GJM hold | Swing | ||||
2011
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJM | Trilok Kumar Dewan | 120,532 | 78.51 | ||
| GNLF | Bim Subba | 13,977 | 9.10 | ||
| ABGL | Bharati Tamang | 11,198 | 7.29 | ||
| CPI(M) | K. B. Wattar | 5,353 | 3.49 | ||
| INC | Nahakul Chandra Chhetri | 2,463 | 1.60 | ||
| Majority | 106,555 | 69.41 | |||
| Turnout | 153,523 | 70.44 | |||
| Swing to GJM from GNLF | Swing | ||||
2006
2001
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GNLF | D. K. Pradhan | 66,839 | 63.49 | Winner | |
| IND | Sawan Rai | 21,576 | 20.49 | ||
| CPI(M) | K. B. Watter | 9,694 | 9.21 | ||
| INC | Parvati Pradhan | 4,445 | 4.22 | ||
| BJP | Kishore Chandra Rai | 2,723 | 2.59 | ||
| Majority | 45,263 | 43.00 | |||
| Turnout | 1,05,277 | 60.59 | |||
| GNLF hold | Swing | ||||
1996
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GNLF | Nar Bahadur Chettri | 51,501 | 50.89 | ||
| CPI(M) | Kamala Sanskrityayana | 26,034 | 25.72 | ||
| ABGL | Madan Kumar Rai (Bantawa) | 18,503 | 18.28 | ||
| BJP | Prahlad Prasad Gupta | 2,602 | 2.57 | ||
| AIIC(T) | Raja Rai | 1,181 | 1.17 | ||
| IND | Pramod Tamang | 680 | 0.67 | ||
| IND | Bhutia Pema Tshering Lama | 386 | 0.38 | ||
| IUML | Ahmad Mansur | 316 | 0.31 | ||
| Majority | 25,467 | 25.17 | |||
| Turnout | 106,573 | 69.93 | |||
| Swing to GNLF from Independent | Swing | ||||
1991
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | Narendra Kumai | 47,722 | 54.51 | ||
| ABGL | J. D. S. Rai | 35,489 | 40.54 | ||
| BJP | D. P. Chhetri | 2,592 | 2.96 | ||
| IND | Surja Narayan Pradhan | 1,743 | 1.99 | ||
| Majority | 12,233 | 13.97 | |||
| Turnout | 102,451 | 69.61 | |||
| Swing to Independent from CPI(M) | Swing | ||||
1987
1982
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPI(M) | Dawa Lama | 29,165 | 50.27 | ||
| IND | J. D. S. Rai | 28,856 | 49.73 | ||
| Majority | 309 | 0.54 | |||
| Turnout | 60,012 | 59.40 | |||
| Swing to CPI(M) from Independent | Swing | ||||
1977
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | Deo Prakash Rai | 12,607 | 31.75 | ||
| CPI(M) | Sangdopal Lepcha | 8,414 | 21.19 | ||
| IND | Madan Kumar Thapa | 5,311 | 13.38 | ||
| INC | P. P. Rai | 5,235 | 13.18 | ||
| JP | Khaling Nirmal Chandra | 4,876 | 12.28 | ||
| IND | Nandalal Gurung | 1,952 | 4.92 | ||
| IND | Dalbahadur Singh Gahatraj | 590 | 1.49 | ||
| ABGL | Santosh Kumar Gurung | 383 | 0.96 | ||
| IND | Subhash Ghising | 269 | 0.68 | ||
| IND | Madan Kumar Rai | 68 | 0.17 | ||
| Majority | 4,193 | 10.56 | |||
| Turnout | 40,951 | 44.87 | |||
| Swing to Independent from ABGL | Swing | ||||
1972
1971
1969
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABGL | Deo Prakash Rai | 15,698 | 57.68 | ||
| INC | Madan Kumar Thapa | 11,519 | 42.32 | ||
| Majority | 4,179 | 15.36 | |||
| Turnout | 28,321 | 50.01 | |||
| Swing to ABGL from Independent | Swing | ||||
1967
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | D. Rai | 14,281 | 51.03 | ||
| INC | M. K. Thapa | 9,085 | 32.46 | ||
| IND | G. L. Subba | 4,621 | 16.51 | ||
| Majority | 5,196 | 18.57 | |||
| Turnout | 29,373 | 54.32 | |||
| Swing to Independent from ABGL | Swing | ||||
1962
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABGL | Deo Prakash Rai | 9,139 | 49.17 | ||
| CPI | Ananda Prasad Pathak | 4,619 | 24.85 | ||
| INC | D. Yonjan | 3,413 | 18.36 | ||
| IND | Jatig Chandra Rai | 1,183 | 6.36 | ||
| PSP | Tarak Kumar Kashi | 234 | 1.26 | ||
| Majority | 4,520 | 24.32 | |||
| Turnout | 19,437 | 36.24 | |||
| Swing to ABGL from Independent | Swing | ||||
1957
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | Deo Prakash Rai | 4,400 | 33.30 | ||
| CPI | Ananda Prasad | 4,256 | 32.21 | ||
| INC | Dalbahadur Singh Gahatraj | 2,836 | 21.47 | ||
| IND | Mahananda Subba | 773 | 5.85 | ||
| IND | P. P. Pradhan | 544 | 4.12 | ||
| IND | Debahadur | 403 | 3.05 | ||
| Majority | 144 | 1.09 | |||
| Turnout | 13,212 | 33.35 | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
1951
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | Dalbahadur Singh Gahatraj | 7,141 | 48.05 | ||
| INC | T. Mansen | 3,872 | 26.05 | ||
| CPI | Ratanlal Brahman | 3,849 | 25.90 | ||
| Majority | 3,269 | 22.00 | |||
| Turnout | 14,862 | 36.20 | |||
| Independent win (new seat) | |||||
Notes
- Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binay Faction)
- Indian Democratic Republican Front
- The 1987 West Bengal state elections coincided with the height of the violent Gorkhaland statehood agitation in the Darjeeling hills. The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) called for a massive, strictly enforced boycott of the election. Consequently, the vast majority of the electorate stayed home, dropping the turnout to 13.23%. Because the GNLF and its supporters boycotted rather than fielding a candidate, the few voters who did show up at the polls were predominantly CPI(M) loyalists, which allowed Dawa Lama to capture nearly 91% of the meager vote count.
