Trinamool scores surprise win in Assam’s Mandia despite setback in Bengal

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has regained a foothold in Assam after more than two decades, opening its account in the state by winning the Mandia Assembly constituency, even as it faces setbacks in its traditional stronghold of West Bengal.

AITC candidate Sherman Ali Ahmed secured a decisive victory, defeating Congress veteran Abdul Khaleque by a margin of 27,561 votes.

Sherman Ali Ahmed polled 1,13,480 votes against Khaleque’s 85,919, marking a clear shift in voter preference in Mandia, a constituency long associated with Congress influence. The result stands out not just for the margin but for its symbolic value, as it gives the Trinamool Congress a foothold in Assam’s political landscape.

Sherman Ali Ahmed’s political journey has been marked by multiple transitions and a reputation for grassroots mobilisation. 

He entered the Assam Assembly in 2011 from Baghbar as an All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) candidate before joining the Congress, where he was re-elected in 2016 and 2021. Long-suspended by the Congress for alleged violations of party discipline, he remained a vocal critic of the Grand Old Party's state leadership.

In February 2026, he joined the Raijor Dal, an ally in the Congress-led Opposition alliance, and was promptly appointed the party's vice-president.

He was also named the candidate for Mandia. But this stint was short-lived, lasting barely a month. When Raijor Dal finalised its list in late March as part of seat-sharing arrangements with Congress, Ahmed was dropped. Congress had fielded a different nominee for the seat.

His victory in Mandia reflects both personal political capital and the AITC’s attempt to position itself as an alternative force in regions where Congress has traditionally held sway. 

For Abdul Khaleque, a seasoned Congress leader and former MP, the defeat signals a setback in a constituency once considered a party bastion.

It is noteworthy that Jamal Uddin Ahmed had secured a victory in the 2001 Assam Legislative Assembly elections from the Badarpur constituency as a candidate of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).

Following his 2001 win, he later joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and went on to win the same seat in 2011 and 2016. He continued to serve as a Congress MLA until his demise in January 2021.

The Mandia result underscores a broader churn within Assam politics, where regional dynamics and candidate-specific influence are increasingly shaping outcomes. 

For the Trinamool Congress, this win—though limited to a single seat—carries strategic significance as it seeks to expand beyond its eastern stronghold and test new electoral ground.