Vote counting for the crucial Assembly by-elections in West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies got underway under tight security, with Bharatiya Janata Party candidates establishing substantial leads across early and intermediate rounds. In Nandigram, BJP nominee Hasirani Rath built a commanding margin over her opponents, while party candidate Sakharov Sarkar pulled ahead by tens of thousands of votes in Rejinagar. The counting commenced at 8 AM with postal ballots before transitioning to electronic voting machines, accompanied by heavy deployment of district police and central forces across counting centers in East Midnapore and Murshidabad districts.
Hasirani Rath Establishes Dominant Margin in Nandigram
Counting operations for the Nandigram constituency took place at the Bhupatinath Pradhan Memorial Rural Development Society under rigorous monitoring. The initial trends quickly turned in favor of the BJP. Following the conclusion of the very first round of counting, Hasirani Rath secured 11,965 votes, establishing an immediate lead of 9,644 votes over her Congress competitor. As counting progressed through subsequent rounds, her advantage expanded to 19,291 votes. Rath is the mother of the slain aide and personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Chandranath Rath. The growing lead triggered celebrations outside the counting center, where BJP workers gathered to mark the milestone.
Sakharov Sarkar Secures Over 30,000 Vote Lead in Rejinagar
A significant development unfolded in the Rejinagar constituency located in Murshidabad district, where the electorate comprises approximately 70 percent Muslim voters. By the conclusion of the fourth round of counting, BJP candidate Sakharov Sarkar had surged ahead with a margin exceeding 30,000 votes. Addressing the media regarding these intermediate numbers, Sarkar remarked that it was still an early stage and he did not wish to speak at length, but pointed out that minority voters had shown their support for the government. He mentioned that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had promised to visit if they achieved victory, and emphasized that the public had placed their trust in the Chief Minister's developmental agenda for the state. Sarkar further noted that his primary benchmark remained Nandarani, who had previously secured the highest vote tally in Bengal, stating that people had voted decisively for the party and signaling shifts in the political landscape.
Stringent Security Oversight Across Murshidabad
To prevent any untoward incidents, administrative authorities enacted multi-tier security arrangements at counting facilities in Murshidabad. District Superintendent of Police Sachin Makkar was personally present on the ground to inspect the facilities and monitor the security apparatus. Superintendent Sachin Makkar confirmed that security arrangements at the counting center were deployed in strict adherence to Election Commission guidelines, noting that he was stationed there directly to oversee proceedings. Heavy personnel deployments from both state law enforcement and central armed forces maintained vigilance along the perimeters of the counting centers throughout the exercise.
Congress Candidates Raise Accusations of Irregularities
As the vote totals widened the margin between the candidates, representatives from the Congress party mounted sharp criticisms regarding the conduct of the by-elections. In Rejinagar, Congress contestant Abdullahil Kafi expressed skepticism over the tallies, claiming that the emerging figures matched prior predictions by the Chief Minister regarding a victory margin of 1,20,000 votes. Kafi alleged that booth-level numbers had been predetermined and argued that the current counting reflected calculated rigging and manipulation. In Nandigram, Congress leader Puja Roy Choudhuri questioned the fairness of the electoral process, alleging that vote looting occurred on polling day and that the electoral process was not conducted in a free and impartial atmosphere, while asserting that public sentiment during ground campaigns had leaned toward the Congress.
State Congress Leadership Demands Repolling
The criticisms were echoed by senior party leaders overseeing the state apparatus. AICC in-charge for West Bengal Prakash Joshi condemned the reported incidents during the election, alleging that booths were captured, party workers were subjected to assaults, commercial shops were set ablaze, residences were attacked, and campaign vehicles were vandalized in Nandigram. Joshi contended that administrative machinery had been used to intimidate voters and claimed that the Election Commission failed to act impartially. Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar voiced strong grievances against the voter rolls and election conduct, calling for fresh voting in both Rejinagar and Nandigram. Sarkar alleged that legitimate voters were improperly purged from electoral rolls through collusion between authorities, preventing them from casting their ballots, and argued that fair polling without fear would have generated entirely different outcomes.
Electoral Context and Stakes in the By-Elections
The necessity for these by-elections arose following post-general election seat selections by winning representatives. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari opted to retain the Bhabanipur seat over Nandigram, thereby necessitating the by-poll in the high-stakes constituency. In Rejinagar, the vacancy occurred after Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir chose to represent Naoda instead. Kabir's son, Ghulam Nabi Azad, contested the Rejinagar seat as a candidate. Nandigram carries historic political weight, having previously witnessed a fierce contest between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari. In this contest, the BJP fielded Hasirani Rath, while Congress candidate Milan Pradhan received backing from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress faction. The campaign trail in Nandigram had already seen tension following the arrest and subsequent bail of Milan Pradhan, making the final outcome of these counting rounds a focal point of state politics.
