Tomorrow, October 6, 2026, by-elections will be held in Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies in West Bengal. For the first time in 15 years, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee is neither the Chief Minister nor a legislator nor a candidate in the by-election. TMC also does not have a candidate in Nandigram. Results for all six seats across four states and one Union Territory will be declared on October 9, 2026.
The two West Bengal assembly constituencies going to the polls are Nandigram and Rejinagar. Nandigram has long held significant political importance and has been a major centre of the political contest between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Nandigram's politics is closely linked to the change of government in West Bengal. The 2007 movement against land acquisition provided Mamata Banerjee and the TMC with a b political base in the state. The movement subsequently played an important role in bringing the TMC to power in West Bengal in 2011.
Mamata Banerjee contested the 2021 assembly election from Nandigram against current Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari. Adhikari defeated Banerjee in that election. Nandigram subsequently became a symbol of the political confrontation between the two leaders and between the TMC and BJP.
In the 2026 assembly election, Shubhendu Adhikari contested from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur and won both seats.
In Bhabanipur, he defeated Mamata Banerjee by a margin of 15,105 votes. Adhikari received 73,917 votes, while Banerjee secured 58,812 votes.
Following this defeat, Mamata Banerjee was in a position for the first time in which she was neither the state's Chief Minister nor a member of the legislative assembly. This has given the Nandigram by-election particular significance in West Bengal's current political landscape.
After the assembly election, there was speculation in political circles that Mamata Banerjee could contest the Nandigram by-election. However, the TMC later nominated Sanchita Pradhan as its candidate from the constituency.
Sanchita Pradhan subsequently withdrew her candidature. As a result, the TMC now has no candidate in the Nandigram by-election. The development is significant because Nandigram has been directly associated with Mamata Banerjee's political journey and the expansion of the TMC.
The by-election is also significant for both the TMC and BJP because of the long-standing political contest between the two parties in Nandigram.
Rejinagar is the second assembly constituency in West Bengal going to a by-election. The contest involves candidates from several major political parties. Candidates from the BJP, Congress, both TMC factions, CPI(M) and the Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) are in the fray.
Rejinagar is a Muslim-majority assembly constituency. Apart from BJP candidate Shankarav Sarkar, the prominent candidates are from the Muslim community.
The Congress has fielded Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi. Rabiul Alam Chowdhury is contesting on behalf of the TMC. The Janata Unnayan Party has fielded Golam Nabi Azad, the son of Humayun Kabir.
The contest in Rejinagar is therefore not limited to the BJP and TMC. The presence of the Congress, CPI(M) and AJUP has made the election multi-cornered. Given the constituency's social and political structure, its result could also provide an indication of the direction of West Bengal politics.
After the TMC lost power and Mamata Banerjee lost her seat in the 2026 assembly election, her political position is different from what it was previously. For the first time in around 15 years, she is neither the Chief Minister of West Bengal nor a legislator.
The absence of a TMC candidate in the Nandigram by-election has also raised questions about the party's strategy. The constituency has already been an important political base for the BJP. Shubhendu Adhikari's victory in Nandigram strengthened the BJP's influence there.
The by-election results could indicate the direction in which West Bengal politics is moving after the assembly election.
Besides West Bengal, polling will also be held on October 6 in two Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies, one Assam Lok Sabha constituency and one Puducherry assembly constituency.
The results of these by-elections will be important for assessing local political dynamics as well as the support base of major political parties in the respective states. However, the polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal have attracted particular attention.
Counting of votes and declaration of results for all six seats will take place on October 9, 2026.
The West Bengal by-election is notable because Mamata Banerjee, who has played a central role in the state's politics for a long period, is not directly contesting this time. Nandigram played an important role in the political journey that brought the TMC to power in 2011. The by-election is now being held in the same constituency amid a changed political landscape in the state.
Mamata Banerjee's absence from Nandigram, Shubhendu Adhikari's previous victory and the long-running contest between the BJP and TMC have placed the constituency under significant political attention. Rejinagar, meanwhile, presents a different kind of contest because of the presence of multiple parties.
