SILIGURI, Feb 21: Goutam Deb has indicated that he intends to contest the 2026 Assembly elections from Siliguri instead of Dabgram-Phulbari, the constituency he represented twice in the state Assembly.
Deb, currently the mayor of Siliguri, was elected from Dabgram-Phulbari in 2011 and 2016 but lost the seat in 2021 to Sikha Chatterjee of the Bharatiya Janata Party by over 27,000 votes.
Speaking on the sidelines of a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a road project in Fulbari’s Paschim Dhantala area, Deb said he wished to seek a mandate from Siliguri, describing it as his birthplace. He added that although he lost the last Assembly election, he continued public service as mayor and urged voters to back the All India Trinamool Congress nominee in Dabgram-Phulbari.
Deb also questioned the electoral pattern in the region, remarking that development work undertaken by the state government had not translated into Assembly victories for his party.
Responding sharply, Chatterjee claimed the move reflected apprehension of another defeat and alleged that Deb had failed to deliver meaningful development during his tenure. She further suggested that his party might deny him renomination from Dabgram-Phulbari.
The political landscape in north Bengal has been witnessing significant shifts ahead of the 2026 polls. Recently, BP Sharma, an MLA from Kurseong, switched allegiance to the Trinamool Congress, adding to the churn in the region’s electoral dynamics.