The Election Commission has prepared a detailed security plan for the by-elections to the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies in West Bengal. A total of 71 companies of central forces will be deployed across the two constituencies, with 37 companies in Nandigram in East Midnapore district and 34 companies in Rejinagar in Murshidabad district.
According to information released by the Election Commission, 37 companies of central forces will be deployed in Nandigram and 34 companies in Rejinagar during polling. The deployment will cover polling stations and sensitive areas associated with the election process, with central forces coordinating with the local administration and police.
A company generally consists of around 100 officers and personnel, although the actual strength may vary depending on the composition of the company and the nature of deployment. The deployment is intended to maintain security at polling stations and surrounding areas and facilitate polling in a peaceful environment.
The Election Commission will also provide 100 percent webcasting at all polling stations in both constituencies to monitor the polling process. Nandigram has 282 polling stations, while Rejinagar has 315, taking the combined number of polling stations covered by webcasting to 597.
Under the arrangement, every polling station in the two Assembly constituencies will be connected to the webcasting system, allowing activities at the polling centres to be monitored through the technical system during voting.
Polling for the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections is scheduled for October 6, 2026, while counting of votes will take place on October 9.
According to the election schedule, the nomination process is to be completed by September 16. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on September 17, while September 19 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The final list of candidates contesting the two seats will become clear after the withdrawal deadline.
The Nandigram Assembly seat in East Midnapore district became vacant after Suvendu Adhikari won the seat as well as the Bhabanipur seat in the 2026 Assembly election. He subsequently retained Bhabanipur and resigned from the Nandigram Assembly seat, leading to the by-election.
The Rejinagar Assembly seat also became vacant after Humayun Kabir, chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, contested and won from both Rejinagar and Naoda in the 2026 Assembly election.
Kabir subsequently retained the Naoda seat and resigned from Rejinagar, creating the need for a by-election in the constituency. Voters in Rejinagar will elect a new MLA on October 6.
The Election Commission has appointed observers to oversee the polling process in both constituencies. Hari Lal Chauhan has been appointed as the police observer for Rejinagar, while MB Borlingaiah will serve as the police observer for Nandigram.
Santosh Das has been appointed as the general observer for Nandigram and Harshal Pancholi as the general observer for Rejinagar. The observers will oversee the election process and monitor the arrangements related to the polls.
Political activity has also intensified in both constituencies ahead of the by-elections. The Trinamool Congress has nominated Sanchita Pradhan from Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar. The Congress and the Left Front have also announced their candidates.
Nandigram will have 37 companies of central forces compared with 34 companies in Rejinagar, a difference of three companies. At the same time, Rejinagar has more polling stations, with 315 compared with 282 in Nandigram.
The Election Commission's security deployment plan has been determined separately for the two constituencies based on area-specific requirements and administrative assessments. Central forces will work alongside the local administration and police during the polling process.
Along with the deployment of central forces and the webcasting arrangements, preparations are being finalised at the administrative level. Arrangements at polling stations, deployment of security personnel, the responsibilities of observers and duties of polling staff will be completed ahead of voting.
The by-elections will enter the next stage as the October 6 polling date approaches. Counting will take place on October 9, when the results for the two vacant Assembly seats will be declared.
For the two constituencies combined, 71 companies of central forces will be deployed and all 597 polling stations will have webcasting facilities. The Election Commission's preparations cover security deployment, technical monitoring and administrative arrangements for polling on October 6 and counting on October 9.
