As BJP candidate Anandamay Barman took the lead in West Bengal's SC-reserved Matigara-Naxalbari constituency by nearly 65,000 votes, TMC candidate Shankar Malakar said, "We have to accept the public's opinion. If we don't listen to the public, where will we live?" Malakar had switched from Congress to TMC in 2025. "TMC government's 'visarjan' is certain," Barman had earlier said.