The Bharatiya Janata Party registered an unprecedented victory in the Rejinagar assembly by-election, capturing the constituency for the very first time in West Bengal's electoral history. In a contest that thoroughly dismantled older political alignments, BJP nominee Shankhrao Sarkar swept the poll with an overwhelming majority. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee experienced an extraordinary collapse, with its candidate securing a meager 3,847 votes in an area where the party had previously commanded widespread dominance. Internal factionalism and an acrimonious party split following the heavy defeat in the 2026 assembly elections appear to have severely crippled the organization's grassroot machinery.
Landslide Margin for Shankhrao Sarkar as Opponents Fall Behind
Official tallies showed BJP nominee Shankhrao Sarkar securing an imposing 1,29,914 votes. He defeated his nearest contender, Ghulam Nabi Azad alias Robin of the Aam Janta Unnayan Party (AJUP), by a vast margin of 75,816 ballots to secure the historic win. Ghulam Nabi Azad finished second with 54,098 votes. The bypoll had been triggered after Azad's father, Humayun Kabir, vacated the legislative seat. Further down the leaderboard, Congress candidate Abdullahil Kafi was relegated to a distant position with just 6,168 votes. The sharpest drop came for the Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress, whose candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury managed a dismal tally of only 3,847 votes.
The Steep Descent from 2021 Majority to 3,847 Ballots
A look at earlier election outcomes in Rejinagar underlines the dramatic scale of the shift. In the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, Trinamool candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury had swept the seat with 1,18,494 votes, commanding an absolute majority of 56.31 percent of all votes cast. In that contest, BJP candidate Arabinda Biswas had finished runner-up with 50,226 votes. Over the span of just five years, the political ground shifted entirely under the feet of the ruling camp. From winning by decisive margins, the Mamata Banerjee faction was reduced to a marginal 3,847 ballots in the 2026 by-election, illustrating a profound erosion of voter confidence.
Warning Signs During the 2026 General Assembly Polls
The unraveling of Trinamool Congress in Rejinagar was already visible during the 2026 general assembly elections in West Bengal. In that poll, Humayun Kabir, contesting on an Aam Janta Unnayan Party ticket, emerged victorious with 1,23,536 votes. BJP nominee Bapan Ghosh had collected 64,660 votes, while Trinamool Congress representative Ataur Rahman trailed in third place with 41,718 votes. Those general election figures had provided an unmistakable warning sign that Trinamool's local grip was loosening rapidly amid strong inroads by Humayun Kabir and a surging BJP vote share. The latest by-election concluded that trend with complete electoral dominance by the saffron party.
Splintering of Trinamool Congress Deepens Mamata Banerjee's Crisis
Following its decisive defeat in the 2026 state assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress fractured into two rival entities operating under distinct political identities. The faction loyal to Mamata Banerjee took to the field under the banner of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, while a splinter group led by Ritabrata Banerjee contested under the name Democratic Trinamool Congress. This institutional divide severely damaged party coherence, fractured the cadre, and left grassroot supporters disillusioned. In Rejinagar, the meager return of 3,847 votes for Mamata Banerjee's nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury laid bare the catastrophic impact of the split on voter mobilization.
Rejinagar's Multi-Cornered Electoral Background
Historically, the Rejinagar legislative seat has witnessed fiercely competitive multi-cornered rivalries. In the 2016 assembly polls, Congress nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury won a tight race by securing 79,770 votes, narrowly edging out independent candidate Humayun Kabir, who gathered 74,210 votes. In that election, Trinamool's Begum Siddika ended up with 14,631 votes, while BJP nominee Bankim Karmakar took 10,771 votes. Earlier in the 2013 bypoll, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury had captured the seat for the Congress with 66,876 votes. These historical figures demonstrate that prior to Trinamool's temporary rise, the constituency's primary battle was contested between the Congress and regional figures, before the BJP consolidated the fragmented electorate.
A Major Benchmark for BJP Amid Existential Questions for TMC
Breaking through in Rejinagar marks an exceptional political milestone for the BJP in West Bengal. Garnering 1,29,914 votes placed the party far ahead of all opponents, confirming that its expanding footprint is altering traditional strongholds. Conversely, tumbling to 3,847 votes signals an existential crisis for the Trinamool Congress apparatus. The key question for observers is whether the BJP can sustain this massive mandate into long-term electoral allegiance, and whether the estranged factions headed by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee can ever repair their rift to recover their vanishing political footing.
