Intense political campaigning across West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies came to a close on Sunday ahead of the upcoming by-elections. With public addresses and loud rallies concluding as per election norms, political outfits have transitioned toward direct voter contact to consolidate ground support. Voting across both assembly segments will take place on Tuesday, October 6, deciding the fate of key candidates who entered the fray under dramatic circumstances.
Congress Candidate Steps Up Campaign After Bail
In Nandigram, the electoral battle intensified after Congress candidate Milan Pradhan resumed active canvassing on Thursday following his release on bail from the Calcutta High Court. Pradhan has been racing across the constituency to make up for lost ground during his detention. He had been arrested on September 18 in connection with six separate legal cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation in Nandigram. Since securing bail, Pradhan has visited nearly every locality in the seat, seeking voter backing through direct outreach.
BJP Field Campaign Gains High-Profile Momentum
The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Hasirani Rath has mounted an energetic campaign in Nandigram, backed strongly by prominent party figures. Chief Minister Adhikari personally addressed rallies across Nandigram on Sunday to mobilize voters in her favor. Support from senior leadership has injected notable momentum into Rath's campaign during the decisive final phase of electioneering.
Legal Scrutiny Around Candidacy and Key Contenders
Hasirani Rath is the mother of the late Chandranath Rath, a close associate of Chief Minister Adhikari who was murdered two days after the West Bengal assembly election results were declared. Her nomination encountered legal pushback from the Congress, which petitioned the Calcutta High Court alleging discrepancies regarding her age and the year she passed the tenth-grade examination. The court dismissed the challenge, clearing her path to contest. Alongside the BJP and Congress, the electoral race in Nandigram features the Left parties, the ISF, and the Democratic Trinamool Congress led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
Multi-Cornered Contest Shapes Rejinagar Race
A fragmented and fiercely contested battle is unfolding in Murshidabad district's Rejinagar seat. The field there includes the BJP, the Congress, the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), and two competing factions of the Trinamool Congress. Campaign activity reached a fever pitch on Sunday as all sides sought an edge. The contest in Rejinagar has also seen law enforcement actions, with an independent candidate arrested last month over a five-year-old case involving violent clashes between rival factions during the 2021 state elections.
Why Bypolls Were Triggered and the Voting Schedule
Voters across both assembly seats will cast their ballots on Tuesday, October 6, with vote counting scheduled for October 9. These by-elections became necessary following decisions by winning leaders to vacate secondary seats. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari gave up the Nandigram seat after winning both Bhabanipur and Nandigram. In Rejinagar, the vacancy arose because AJUP chief Humayun Kabir chose to retain the Nawada constituency after securing victories in both Rejinagar and Nawada during the 2026 assembly elections.
