West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of irregularities ahead of the bypoll results for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies. She alleged that large-scale irregularities occurred during polling and that attempts were made to prevent people from casting their votes. She also raised questions about electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Polling in both constituencies was held on October 6, with vote counting scheduled for October 9. Banerjee’s allegations ahead of the results have intensified political activity in West Bengal. An official response from election authorities or the BJP regarding the allegations is awaited.
Speaking to the media in Kolkata, Banerjee alleged serious lapses in the electoral process. She claimed that police action and the conduct of polling affected voters. According to her, some people were prevented from casting their votes, while issues related to identity cards were also reported.
Banerjee questioned the functioning of the Election Commission and alleged irregularities involving EVMs. She also said BJP leaders had been making claims about their expected margins of victory even before the elections. She raised questions about the transparency of the electoral process.
However, Banerjee clarified that she had not personally witnessed all the incidents. She said she had received information about the complaints from different parties.
Ahead of the bypoll results, the BJP has claimed that it expects a significant victory in Nandigram. Party leaders have expressed confidence in winning both constituencies. The BJP has claimed that it could win Nandigram by a margin of around 50,000 votes.
Nandigram is a particularly important constituency for the BJP, with senior party leader and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari considered to have a significant political influence in the area. Adhikari has also expressed confidence that the BJP will win both seats, stating that the party could secure a substantial victory margin in Nandigram.
The electoral contest in Nandigram involves several political factions. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath, a former associate of Suvendu Adhikari.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate backed by the TMC faction led by Mamata Banerjee, withdrew from the contest after meeting Suvendu Adhikari. Banerjee subsequently extended support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. He had been arrested by the police in a case but was later granted bail.
Meanwhile, the rival TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee has fielded Mohammad Eteshamul Haque.
The presence of candidates backed by different political factions has made the Nandigram contest more complex than a conventional BJP-versus-TMC contest.
The Rejinagar bypoll has also witnessed a contest among multiple candidates. Voter turnout in the constituency stood at 78.42%, compared with 79.39% in Nandigram.
The Rejinagar seat fell vacant after Humayun Kabir resigned. He had won both the Rejinagar and Naoda constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections and subsequently vacated the Rejinagar seat. His son, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has been fielded in the bypoll.
The BJP has nominated Sakharawa Sarkar, while the TMC has fielded Rabiul Alam Chowdhury. The breakaway TMC faction has nominated Safiuzzaman Sheikh, the Congress has fielded Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, and the CPI(M) has nominated Syed Asad Ali.
