BJP national vice president Surinder Singh Ahluwalia Friday won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in northern West Bengal, humbling former Indian soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia of the Trinamool Congress by 196,795 votes.
The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, who had the backing of the dominant party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, secured 487,564 votes, while Bhaichung had to be satisfied with 290,769.
Communist Party of India-Marxist aspirant Saman Pathak finished third, garnering 167,069 votes.
BJP retained the seat. In 2009, Jaswant Singh was elected from the constituency.
